Tooth cracks detection and gingival sulcus depth measurement using optical coherence tomography.

The aims of this study were to develop an automatic detection technique for tooth cracks and to suggest quantitative methods for measuring gingival sulcus depth using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). We evaluated SS-OCT with wavelength centered at 1310 nm over a spectral bandwidth of 100 nm at a rate of 50 kHz as a new diagnostic tool for the detection of tooth cracks and gingival sulcus depth. The reliability of the SS-OCT images was verified by imaging the crack in extracted human teeth and gingival sulcus of porcine sample. The SS-OCT could automatically detect the position of various cracks and visualize the deep periodontal pockets. Therefore, the detection capability of SS-OCT images could be useful diagnostic tool for dental cracks and periodontal pockets.