Feasibility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to elucidate elemental changes in human tooth ankylosis

Tooth ankylosis is a pathological condition associated with the loss of physiological tooth mobility when the firm fusion between the alveolar bone and the tooth root occurs. Causes of dental ankylosis are uncertain, so the analysis of elemental distribution in ankylotic and surrounding tissues could provide additional information about its initiation and progression. Here, we used Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to determine differences in the mineral composition among ankylotic tissue, bone, and dental tissue taking advantage of its high throughput and multi-elemental capability. Elemental imaging was performed with a spatial resolution of 30 mu m to evaluate the distribution of carbon, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and strontium in human tooth. To further verify the difference in the mineral composition of ankylotic tissue, the semi-quantitative content of these elements was compared within the region of interest. We revealed a significant increase in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus contents in the ankylotic tissues. However, the contents of magnesium and phosphorus were not significantly changed. This finding suggests a mineral disbalance only of just certain elements in the tooth-bone interface area during the spread of ankylosis associated with an intense calcification of connective tissue. This paper brings a feasibility study and shows the way of LIBS data interpretation. We propose that the LIBS analysis on a micro-scale can contribute to the understanding of ankylotic tissue composition and can distinguish even small differences of carbon, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and strontium contents on the tooth-bone boundary during the initiation of ankylosis. Therefore, it represents a new useful tool for their future, more extensive analyses.