Addition to the methodology of research into permanent teeth hardness

Abstract

This paper examines permanent teeth hardness (microhardness) using the Vickers method. An original methodology was developed and adopted for preparing the experimental material, i.e. the cross sections into four characteristic locations on the tooth: corona dentis, cervix dentis, pars medialis radicis dentis and apex radicis dentis. A new 'hardness profile' was introduced, which connects hardness and location along the cross section of the tooth. Hardness was measured 664 times on experimental cross sections with total a average hardness of 73.17 HV according to Vickers and a standard deviation of 55.68 HV. The derived descriptive statistical indicators of tooth hardness were calculated for equivalent cross sections, individual teeth, teeth groups and tooth localizations. Two algorithms were developed for determining the rank of tooth hardness - one for estimating the rank of arithmetic mean of the hardness of the cross sections of the teeth, and the other for estimating the rank of hardness for individual teeth. .