The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the bone, revealing the different
phases for calcified tissues independent of the medical history of the patient in
relation to periodontitis by means of in vivo Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy
measurements were performed in vivo during surgery and then ex vivo for the harvested
bone samples for the whole group of patients (ten patients). The specific peaks for
the Raman spectrum were traced for reference compounds (e.g., calcium phosphates)
and bone samples. The variation in the intensity of the spectrum in relation to the
specific bone constituents' concentrations reflects the bone quality and can be strongly
related with patient medical status (before dental surgery and after a healing period).
Moreover, bone sample fluorescence is related to collagen content, enabling a complete
evaluation of bone quality including a "quasi-quantification" of the healing process
similar to the bone augmentation procedure. A complete evaluation of the processed
spectra offers quantitative/qualitative information on the condition of the bone tissue.
We conclude that Raman spectroscopy can be considered a viable investigation method
for an in vivo and quick bone quality assessment during oral and periodontal surgery.