SWIR, Thermal and CP-OCT imaging probes for the assessment of the activity of root caries lesions.

New imaging technologies are needed for the clinical assessment of lesions on root surfaces. It is not sufficient to simply detect caries lesions; methods are needed to assess lesion depth, structural composition and activity to determine if chemical intervention has the potential to be effective and if remineralization has occurred. Lesions were monitored using CP-OCT during lesion dehydration to assess the lesion structure and any shrinkage. Thermal imaging at 6-10 m wavelengths and short wavelength-IR imaging at 1450-1750-nm were used to monitor thermal emission during lesion dehydration to assess lesion activity. Imaging probes were custom fabricated for clinical use. We present the first clinical results of a small feasibility study employing CP-OCT, thermal and SWIR imaging to assess lesion activity on thirty test subjects with suspected root caries lesions.