Explorations in LEXT Image and Profile Capture for Dental Enamel Surface Morphology

Summary

The field of bioarchaeology is leading to significant advances in our understanding of the lives of past populations. A particular area of interest in this field lies in the consideration of the early life determinants of later life conditions. The consideration of non-specific skeletal stress markers has been at the forefront of this research. Dental enamel grows incrementally, and because it does not remodel once formed, a permanent record of growth disruption is preserved. Traditionally, enamel surface defects have been observed macroscopically. However, this method does not capture the smaller defects reflecting a disruption in only a few of the growth lines visible on the tooth surface. Previously, SEM has been used to examine these patterns, but this only provides an image of the tooth surface which then needs to be scored through visual examination. Other techniques for trying to produce profile lines for more objective assessment have been explored, such as the use of an engineering measuring microscope and the Alicona 3D InfiniteFocus imaging microscope. This paper presents the preliminary application of the LEXT 3D laser measuring microscope to examine dental enamel. The benefits of the LEXT will be discussed along with the challenges encountered in this examination.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Exploring the Microscale: Advances and Novel Applications of Microscopy for Archaeological Materials

Keywords

Spatial Coverage