Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Microsc Res Tech. 2024 Aug;87(8):1810-1821. doi: 10.1002/jemt.24558. Epub 2024 Mar 26.
Molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a qualitative defect of dental enamel characterized by demarcated opacities present in permanent first molars and other teeth. It is considered a major clinical challenge in dentistry because it makes affected teeth more susceptible to fractures and dental caries. Its diagnosis is mainly clinical and there are few technological resources that allow for a more accurate diagnosis, especially with respect to the depth of the defect in the dental enamel. In this context, optical coherence tomography (OCT), which is routinely used in ophthalmology, can produce images of the depth of the dental enamel, making it a promising method. In this study, 33 teeth with different MIH severities were evaluated using OCT and microcomputed tomography (microCT). Semi-quantitative methods of grayscale pattern analysis were used to compare images obtained from different severities of MIH with the mineral density obtained through microCT. MicroCT evaluation revealed that hypomineralized enamel had a significantly lower mineral density than intact enamel. However, this difference was not observed between the mild and severe MIH lesions. In the OCT evaluation, significant differences were observed between the intact and hypomineralized enamel, and the gray value comparison provided a method for quantitative differentiation between the two. This study suggests that OCT could be a useful adjunct to traditional diagnostic methods for MIH, offering a noninvasive approach to evaluate enamel defects. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Combining optical coherence tomography with grayscale digital analysis shows potential as a promising method for diagnosing molar-incisor hypomineralization and assessing its level of severity.
牙齿釉质发育不全（MIH）是一种牙釉质的定性缺陷，其特征为永久性第一磨牙和其他牙齿出现边界明显的不透明。由于它使受影响的牙齿更容易断裂和发生龋齿，因此在牙科领域被认为是一个主要的临床挑战。其诊断主要基于临床，并且很少有技术资源可以进行更准确的诊断，特别是在牙釉质缺陷的深度方面。在这种情况下，光学相干断层扫描（OCT），在眼科中常规使用，可以对牙釉质的深度进行成像，因此是一种很有前途的方法。在这项研究中，使用 OCT 和微计算机断层扫描（microCT）对 33 颗具有不同 MIH 严重程度的牙齿进行了评估。灰度模式分析的半定量方法用于比较来自不同 MIH 严重程度的图像与通过 microCT 获得的矿物质密度。microCT 评估显示，矿化不全的釉质的矿物质密度明显低于完整的釉质。然而，在轻度和重度 MIH 病变之间未观察到这种差异。在 OCT 评估中，在完整和矿化不全的釉质之间观察到显著差异，灰度值比较为两者之间的定量区分提供了一种方法。本研究表明，OCT 可能是 MIH 传统诊断方法的有用补充，为评估釉质缺陷提供了一种非侵入性的方法。研究亮点：将光学相干断层扫描与灰度数字分析相结合，显示出作为诊断牙齿釉质发育不全及其严重程度的有前途的方法的潜力。
