STUDY OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF DENTIN IN PATIENTS WITH SJOGREN'S SYNDROME

The aim of the study was to compare the physical properties of root and coronal dentin under mechanical compression in teeth from patients with Sjögren's syndrome and patients without the disease. Materials and methods. This study presents a comparative assessment of the deformation behavior of coronal and root dentin – derived from teeth extracted for medical reasons from patients with Sjögren's syndrome – against that of dentin from patients without the syndrome, under conditions of uniaxial compression. Results. Microscopic examination of vertical sections of teeth revealed areas of sclerosed dentin in the teeth of patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Mechanical testing demonstrated that the strength characteristics of coronal and radicular dentin in patients with Sjögren's syndrome did not differ from those in patients without the disease. However, the microhardness of radicular dentin in patients with Sjögren's syndrome was 20% higher than in patients without the disease; this may be attributed to the process of sclerosis, whether partial or complete. Conclusions. In patients with Sjogren's syndrome who have lost hard dental tissue, both coronal and root dentin can be used as a base for restoration. At the same time, in patients suffering from Sjögren's syndrome, preference should be given to restoration materials whose mechanical properties are close to those in the sclerosed dentine of teeth in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.