A visible emission of dental enamel has been observed after infrared excitation by pulsed CO2 radiation well below the ablation level. The visible radiation can only be detected in narrow resonant frequency ranges of irradiation in the infrared which correspond to vibrational excitation in the stretch mode of the PO4 group. The IR induced visible luminescence of dental enamel is investigated by spectrally and temporally resolved measurements. Possible mechanisms of energy transfer are discussed.