Studies in tooth crown temperature gradients with the use of infrared thermography.

With the use of an infrared thermographic camera; temperature patterns over the crowns of teeth were recorded. The temperature of upper incisor teeth decreased from gingival margin to incisal edge by approximately 2.5 degrees C. Vital and nonvital teeth were the same temperature at rest, but after cooling with cold air, nonvital teeth were slower to rewarm than vital teeth. The infrared thermographic camera could provide a method of testing tooth vitality based on blood supply rather than nerve supply.