Introduction
In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that high contrast images of tooth demineralization can be acquired in the near-infrared (near-IR) without the interference of stain. The purpose of this study is to compare the lesion contrast in reflectance at near-IR wavelengths coincident with high water absorption with those in the visible, the near-IR at 1,300 nm and with fluorescence measurements for early lesions in occlusal surfaces.
Methods
Twenty-four human molars were used in this in vitro study. Teeth were painted with an acid-resistant varnish, leaving a 4 × 4 mm window in the occlusal surface of each tooth exposed for demineralization. Artificial lesions were produced in the exposed windows after 1- and 2-day exposure to a demineralizing solution at pH 4.5. Lesions were imaged using near-IR reflectance at three wavelengths, 1,300, 1,460, and 1,600 nm using a high definition InGaAs camera. Visible light reflectance, and fluorescence with 405 nm excitation and detection at wavelengths greater than 500 nm were also used to acquire images for comparison. Crossed polarizers were used for reflectance measurements to reduce interference from specular reflectance.
Results
The contrast of both the 1- and 2-day lesions were significantly higher (P < 0.05) for near-IR reflectance imaging at 1,460 and 1,600 nm than it was for near-IR reflectance imaging at 1,300 nm, visible reflectance imaging, and fluorescence.
Conclusion
The markedly higher contrast at 1,460 and 1,600 nm wavelengths, coincident with higher water absorption, suggest that these wavelengths are better suited than 1,300 nm for imaging early/shallow demineralization on tooth surfaces.
Several studies have demonstrated the potential of cross-polarization optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT) to quantify the severity of early caries lesions (tooth decay) on tooth surfaces. The purpose of this study is to show that 2D images of the lesion depth and the integrated reflectivity can be used to accurately represent the severity of early lesions. Simulated early lesions of varying severity were produced on tooth samples using simulated lesion models. Methods were developed to convert the 3D CP-OCT images of the samples to 2D images of the lesion depth and lesion integrated reflectivity. Calculated lesion depths from OCT were compared with lesion depths measured from histological sections examined using polarized light microscopy. The 2D images of the lesion depth and integrated reflectivity are well suited for visualization of early demineralization.
Polarized light micrographs (PLM) of one of the histological sections from a tooth exposed to demineralization for 48 hrs. (A) PLM image of entire thin section (B) magnified PLM image of region of interest.
F eline chronic gingivostomatitis is a chronic inflammatory mucosal disease that affects 0.7% to 12% of domestic cats. [1][2][3] Cats with FCGS typically develop extensive inflammatory lesions throughout the oral cav-
Use of unbiased metagenomic and transcriptomic analyses to investigate the association between feline calicivirus and feline chronic gingivostomatitis in domestic catsWilliam A. Fried bs
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.