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.