RESEARCH ARTICLE Tooth Retrospective Dosimetry Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance: Influence of Irradiated Dental Composites

In the aftermath of a major radiological accident, the medical management of overexposed individuals will rely on the determination of the dose of ionizing radiations absorbed by the victims. Because people in the general population do not possess conventional dosimeters, after the fact dose reconstruction methods are needed. Free radicals are induced by radia-tions in the tooth enamel of victims, in direct proportion to dose, and can be quantified using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectrometry, a technique that was demon-strated to be very appropriate for mass triage. The presence of dimethacrylate based resto-rations on teeth can interfere with the dosimetric signal from the enamel, as free radicals could also be induced in the various composites used. The aim of the present study was to screen irradiated composites for a possible radiation-induced EPR signal, to characterize it, and evaluate a possible interference with the dosimetric signal of the enamel. We investi-gated the most common commercial composites, and experimental compositions, for a pos-sible class effect. The effect of the dose was studied between 10 Gy and 100 Gy using high sensitivity X-band spectrometer. The influence of this radiation-induced signal from th