Physical properties of human premolar cementum: hardness and elasticity.

AIMS: To determine if the cementum on the maxillary right and left first premolars has identical physical properties.

METHODS

Ten normal maxillary first premolar teeth, extracted from five orthodontic patients with a mean age of 14.0 years, were used. The teeth had not been subjected to an orthodontic force. The hardness and elastic modulus of the cementum were measured on the buccal and lingual surfaces of the roots at three locations: cervical third, middle third and apical third.

RESULTS

There were no significant side-to-side differences in cementum hardness (Mean side-to-side difference: 0.0063 GPa; SD: 0.0279; p = 0.525) or elastic modulus (Mean side-to-side difference: -0.027 GPa; SD: 0.111; p = 0.814). The hardness and elastic modulus of the cementum decreased from cervical to apical regions on both root surfaces.

CONCLUSIONS

Similar physical properties of the cementum on the maxillary right and left first premolars suggest that intra-arch comparisons can be used to investigate root resorption caused by orthodontic forces.