Does irradiation of the tooth structure interfere with oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry?-An ex vivo laboratorial study

The effect of tooth structure subjected to ionising radiation on oxygen saturation levels (SpO(2)) measured by pulse oximetry was investigated. Fifty-four extracted human third molars were sectioned mesiodistally. Pulse oximeter diodes were placed in prefabricated silicone moulds, secured on a vise with tooth surfaces placed between the diodes and the participant's finger, and SpO(2) levels were measured. After that, the tooth surfaces were subjected to ionising radiation in fractionated doses of up to 70 Gy, and SpO(2) was measured according to the protocol described. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for the analysis of normality of the quantitative variables, and Student's t-test compared mean SpO(2) levels before and after irradiation. Mean SpO(2) after irradiation was 94.6 +/- 0.9%, without a statistically significant difference from SpO(2) before irradiation, which was 94.7 +/- 0.6%. Irradiation of the tooth structure did not interfere with SpO(2) levels measured by pulse oximetry.