[Estimating vibration transmission characteristics in tooth roots: a study].

Several points remain unclear about the effects on the periodontal tissues during the time that an impulse on a tooth is transmitted to the apex of the root. In this study performed from the standpoint of oscillatory science, random vibration was applied to teeth in an attempt to use data from the tooth crown and the apex of the root in determining indirectly the kinetic properties of the periodontal tissues and whether it is possible to ascertain at the tooth crown the kinetic properties of the apex of the root. The results were as follows : 1. When an impulse was applied to the tooth, it was possible at the tooth crown to ascertain information about the apex of the root when the information was in the same direction as that of the impulse. 2. There was a high level of reliability regarding the attenuation value of the linear level measured in the same direction as that of the impulse on the teeth. 3. Attenuation values for the tooth crown and the apex of the root were considered to be the same in the case of a simple rooted tooth. For a multi-rooted tooth there was a difference of 2 to 3 dB.