Xenon light has effectiveness on the detection of incipient carious lesions on bovine enamel in vitro.

Objective: Filtered 325-nm xenon light was used to test its effectiveness in the detection of incipient carious lesions on bovine enamel by measuring the fluorescence spectrum.

Background Data: The combination of early detection with new interventional methodology and caries management will be the preferred dental practice in the future.

Methods: Specimens of bovine tooth enamel were embedded in resin, polished, exposed to a lactate carbopol buffer system for 71 hours, and randomly divided into one control and three test groups of 10 specimens each, with Vickers hardness number (VHN) stratification. The surface changes were characterized by atomic force microscopy. All specimens were irradiated with xenon light, and a fluorescence spectrum was produced. Characteristics of fluorescence among the demineralized tooth groups were measured using an optical multichannel analyzer and a confocal laser scanning microscope.

Results: The VHNs were significantly different among the four groups (p < 0.05). The fluorescence had a peak intensity of approximately 425 nm, and the slope value between 450 and 550 nm was significantly decreased in all test groups (groups II-IV) compared to the control group (group I), as the VHN decreased (p < 0.05). Demineralized lesion depth gradually increased to 30-40 microm in groups II-IV.

Conclusions: The 325-nm xenon light resulted in high efficacy for detecting incipient carious lesions. By evaluating the highest peak and slope value, the incipient carious lesion may be detected.