Detection of laser doppler blood flow signal from human teeth

Laser doppler flowmeter (LDF) has been applied to the measurement of pulpal blood flow (PBF) in human teeth. As far as we searched, the detection area of the pulp in the blood flow measurement has not been clarified, yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to obtain information of the detection area in PBF measurement using LDF. The experiments were performed on the artificial blood circulation in extracted human upper central incisors. The apical portions of examined teeth (n=6) were severed and root canals were enlarged from the apical end to the 2mm incisal to the level of enamel-cement junction. An individual resin cap of each tooth was prepared and a hole was drilled 2mm incisal to enamel-cement junction of the labial side of the cap. The measurement probe of LDF (MBF3D, Moor Instrument, UK) was plugged into the hole of the cap. Heparinized human peripheral blood, which was in advance collected and diluted 3 times with physiological saline, was pumped through the apical foramen of the teeth via a silicone tube and a disposable needle (o.d. 0.7mm) and blood flow signals were monitored. The flux signal significantly increased with the enlargement of the root canal to incisal direction (p<0.01, Friedman analysis). The result indicates that the performance of LDF in PBF with human teeth is limited.