Near-infrared imaging in orthodontic intraoral scanners for early interproximal caries detection.

Introduction: Intraoral scanners commonly used in orthodontic offices now offer near-infrared imaging (NIRI) technology, advertised as a screening tool to identify interproximal caries. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of NIRI detection of interproximal carious lesions in a common intraoral scanner (iTero Element 5D; Align Technology, San Jose, Calif) with and without bitewing radiograph complement, compared with a microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) reference standard.

Methods: Extracted human posterior teeth (premolars and molars) were selected for early (noncavitated) interproximal carious lesions (n = 39) and sound control surfaces (n = 47).