Selected Spectroscopic Techniques for Surface Analysis of Dental Materials: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The presented work focuses on the application of spectroscopic methods, such as Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, Ultraviolet and Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray spectroscopy, and Mass Spectrometry (MS), which are widely employed in the investigation of the surface properties of dental materials. Examples of the research of materials used as tooth fillings, surface preparation in dental prosthetics, cavity preparation methods and fractographic studies of dental implants are also presented. The cited studies show that the above techniques can be valuable tools as they are expanding the research capabilities of materials used in dentistry.

Keywords: FT-IR; IR; MS; Raman spectroscopy; UV-Vis; X-ray spectroscopy; XRD; XRF; dental ceramics; dental materials; spectroscopy.

Figure 1

FT-IR spectrum of control specimen made by hand and ultrasonic mixing methods as well as the spectrum corresponding to UNIFAST III powder [97].

Figure 2

FT-IR data of specimens made by ultrasonic mixing for nano-sized h-BN reinforcement with different concentrations [97].

Figure 3

Raman spectra of (a) B-560, B-Raw, H-Raw, and commercial bone grafts; (b) bands at 960 cm⁻¹ of the hydroxyapatites samples, and (c) FWHM values of (b) bands [106].

Figure 4

UV-Vis spectra of the CQ initiator and EDAB, MBTTM and MBTTA coinitiators [94].

Figure 5

XRD pattern of the glass-ceramic heat-treated at 700 °C for 12 h and then at 1090 °C for 3 min [143].

Figure 6

ToF-SIMS spectra (m/z = 0–200 amu) for the experimental groups. (A) The positive ion spectra. The characteristic ion peaks of zirconia are Zr⁺ (m/z 90), ZrO⁺ (m/z 106). The ion peaks under m/z 55 are mainly from organic components. Peaks at m/z 99 and 120 could be the fragments of MDP monomer. (B) In the negative ion spectra, the signals after m/z 111 were amplified by 5× to reveal the characteristic negative ion peaks of ZrO₂⁻ and ZrO₂(OH)⁻ at m/z 121.9 and 138.9. The characteristic ion SiO₃C₃H₉⁻ (121) in silane is overlapped with ZrO₂⁻ and thus the peak at m/z 122 increases [161].

Figure 7

Histogram of the cited publications published in the years 2000–2020 according to Scopus on the application of spectroscopic methods in the analysis of surface phenomena in the study of dental materials and related issues.