National Yang Ming University, School of Dentistry, No. 155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei, Taiwan.
J Biomed Opt. 2011 Jun;16(6):066017. doi: 10.1117/1.3593150.
Subgingival calculus has been recognized as a major cause of periodontitis, which is one of the main chronic infectious diseases of oral cavities and a principal cause of tooth loss in humans. Bacteria deposited in subgingival calculus or plaque cause gingival inflammation, function deterioration, and then periodontitis. However, subgingival calculus within the periodontal pocket is a complicated and potentially delicate structure to be detected with current dental armamentaria, namely dental x-rays and dental probes. Consequently, complete removal of subgingival calculus remains a challenge to periodontal therapies. In this study, the detection of subgingival calculus employing a multiphoton autofluorescence imaging method was characterized in comparison with a one-photon confocal fluorescence imaging technique. Feasibility of such a system was studied based on fluorescence response of gingiva, healthy teeth, and calculus with and without gingiva covered. The multiphoton fluorescence technology perceived the tissue-covered subgingival calculus that cannot be observed by the one-photon confocal fluorescence method.
龈下牙石已被认为是牙周炎的主要病因之一，牙周炎是口腔内主要的慢性传染病之一，也是人类牙齿脱落的主要原因。龈下牙石或牙菌斑中的细菌会引起牙龈炎症、功能恶化，进而导致牙周炎。然而，牙周袋内的龈下牙石是一种复杂且潜在精细的结构，目前的牙科器械（即牙科 X 射线和牙科探针）很难检测到。因此，彻底清除龈下牙石仍然是牙周治疗的一个挑战。在这项研究中，我们将多光子自发荧光成像方法与单光子共聚焦荧光成像技术进行了比较，以实现对龈下牙石的检测。我们还基于有/无牙龈覆盖的牙石、健康牙齿和牙龈的荧光响应，研究了这种系统的可行性。多光子荧光技术可以感知到单光子共聚焦荧光方法无法观察到的组织覆盖的龈下牙石。
