Caries inhibition of simulated active caries lesions with CO laser irradiation and fluoride.

It has been well established that CO laser irradiation can be used to transform the mineral phase of dental enamel to make it more resistant to acid dissolution. The purpose of this study was to investigate if carbon dioxide laser irradiation and topical fluoride can be used to treat incipient caries lesions to inhibit further progression, i.e.

Use of SWIR dehydration and OCT to assess the complete arrest of simulated incipient caries lesions.

Previous studies have shown that optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be used to show the formation of a transparent surface zone on caries lesions indicative of remineralization. Studies have also shown that monitoring changes in the diffuse reflectivity of caries lesions during drying with air can be used to assess lesion activity and that the largest changes occur at SWIR wavelengths coincident with high water absorption at 1450 and 1950 nm. The purpose of this study was to determine when remineralization has occurred by monitoring changes in SWIR reflectance measurements and OCT images of simulated lesions over an extended time period during exposure to a remineralization solution.

Dehydration imaging of dental fluorosis at 1950 nm.

Dental fluorosis is an increasing problem in the U.S. due to excessive exposure to fluoride from the environment.

High contrast imaging of dental fluorosis in the short wavelength infrared.

Dental fluorosis is an increasing problem due to over exposure to fluoride from the environment. Fluorosis causes hypomineralization of the enamel during tooth development and mild fluorosis is visible as faint white lines on the tooth surface while the most severe fluorosis can result in pitted surfaces. It is difficult to quantify the severity of mild to moderate fluorosis and assessments are limited to subjective visual examinations.

Imaging dental fluorosis at SWIR wavelengths from 1300 to 2000-nm.

Dental fluorosis is an increasing problem in the U.S. due to excessive exposure to fluoride from the environment.