Chan Emma Kay, Wah Yuet Ying, Lam Walter Yu-Hang, Chu Chun-Hung, Yu Ollie Yiru
Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Dent J (Basel). 2023 Sep 28;11(10):232. doi: 10.3390/dj11100232.
The advance in digital diagnostic technologies has significantly facilitated the detection of dental caries. Despite the increase in clinically available digital diagnostic aids for dental caries, there is yet to be a comprehensive summary of all available technology. This review aims to provide an overview of digital diagnostic aids for the clinical detection of dental caries, particularly those at an initial stage. Currently available digital diagnostic aids for caries detection can be classified into four categories according to the initial source of energy, including radiation-based aids, light-based aids, ultrasound-based aids, and electric-based aids. Radiation-based aids use ionizing radiation, normally X-ray, to produce images of dental structures. Radiation-based aids encompass digital bitewing radiography and cone beam computed tomography. Light-based aids employ light or laser to induce signals for the detection of the changes in the carious dental hard tissue. Common light-based aids include digital transillumination and light/laser-induced fluorescence. Ultrasound-based aids detect the signal of ultrasound waves to assess the acoustic impedance of the carious teeth. The ultrasound caries detector is an available ultrasound-based aid. Electric-based aids assess the changes in the electric current conductance or impedance of the teeth with caries. Available electric-based aids include electrical conductance measurement and alternating current impedance spectroscopy. Except for these clinically available digital diagnostic aids, many digital diagnostic aids for caries detection are still under development with promising results in laboratory settings.
数字诊断技术的进步极大地促进了龋齿的检测。尽管临床上用于龋齿的数字诊断辅助工具有所增加,但尚未对所有可用技术进行全面总结。本综述旨在概述用于临床检测龋齿,尤其是早期龋齿的数字诊断辅助工具。目前可用的用于龋齿检测的数字诊断辅助工具可根据初始能量来源分为四类,包括基于辐射的辅助工具、基于光的辅助工具、基于超声的辅助工具和基于电的辅助工具。基于辐射的辅助工具使用电离辐射,通常是X射线,来生成牙齿结构的图像。基于辐射的辅助工具包括数字咬合翼片X线摄影和锥形束计算机断层扫描。基于光的辅助工具利用光或激光来诱导信号,以检测龋损牙齿硬组织的变化。常见的基于光的辅助工具包括数字透照和光/激光诱导荧光。基于超声的辅助工具检测超声波信号,以评估龋损牙齿的声阻抗。超声龋齿探测器是一种可用的基于超声的辅助工具。基于电的辅助工具评估患龋牙齿的电流传导或阻抗变化。可用的基于电的辅助工具包括电导测量和交流阻抗谱。除了这些临床上可用的数字诊断辅助工具外,许多用于龋齿检测的数字诊断辅助工具仍在开发中,在实验室环境中取得了令人鼓舞的结果。