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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R66906/01
Title: Bioactive Airbrasion in Restorative Dentistry: development and high speed confocal microscopic assessment
Principal Investigator: Watson, Professor TF
Other Investigators:
Banerjee, Professor A Sherriff, Dr M Sherriff, Dr M
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Professor RJ Cook Professor L Hench
Project Partners:
Department: Dentistry - Conservation
Organisation: Kings College London
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 February 2002 Ends: 31 January 2005 Value (£): 277,514
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Biomaterials Med.Instrument.Device& Equip.
Surfaces & Interfaces
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Healthcare
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Cutting teeth with rotary instruments causes significant damage. We will develop techniques for the high-speed digital imaging of air brasion (or grit-blasting): a less damaging cutting modalitiy, using a variety of powders and operating conditions e.g. dry and wet cutting. There is evidence that particles of Bioglass ' can interact with dentine: either tubular fluids or saliva, through the formation of a hydroxy carbonate apatite layer, which may be able to provide an effective interactive seal. This proposal will therefore determine whether airbrasive powders developed from bioactive glasses, with speck hardnesses, can cut selectively and have a therapeutic effect after they have prepared the cavity surface. A vacuum chamber will be made to reduce dust contamination for the microscopic imaging. The cutting interaction between the grit and substrate will be imaged within the bulk of the specimen by confocal optical sectioning. High speed cameras (<60 fps) and massive image storage (375 Gb RAID technology) will capture the cutting images and allow image analysis. The ability to relate substrate structure to failure patterns within enamel, dentine and caries, will therefore be realised. The surface produced by the new preparation techniques will be tested for compatibilty with modern restorative materials.
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