Mao Kaijing, Ku Jason Chi-Kit, Wang Feifei, Song Ke, Lam Walter Yu-Hang, Yu Ollie Yiru
Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China.
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China.
J Dent. 2025 Oct;161:105949. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2025.105949. Epub 2025 Jul 3.
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the accuracy of near-infrared reflection (NIRR) technology in detecting proximal dental caries compared to the reference standard.
This review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024570850). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of NIRR were calculated from the accuracy parameters extracted from the included studies. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool.
Publications from PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science.
STUDY SELECTION/RESULTS: Thirteen studies, including six in vitro and seven clinical studies, met the eligibility criteria. Most of the included studies assess NIRR employing near-infrared light with a wavelength of 850 nm, while 780, 1050, 1550, and 1600 nm NIR were adopted in a few studies. The pooled data from in vitro studies revealed that the sensitivity (95 % Confidence Interval, CI), specificity (95 % CI) and AUC of NIRR for proximal caries detection were 0.46(0.42-0.50) and 0.87(0.84-0.89), and 0.72, respectively. For clinical studies, the pooled sensitivity (95 % CI), specificity (95 % CI), and AUC were 0.65(0.62-0.68), 0.95(0.94-0.95) and 0.83, respectively. Seven studies showed a low risk, five studies showed a high risk, and one study showed an unclear risk of bias and applicability concerns.
NIRR is relatively insensitive but highly specific for the detection of proximal dental caries in posterior teeth. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, a cautious interpretation of the results is necessary. Future research is needed to confirm the potential of NIRR in detecting dental caries, particularly NIRR that utilizes longer wavelengths.
NIRR is a novel technology for caries detection. This study provides valuable information to researchers and clinicians who are interested in using this technology for caries detection.
本系统评价和荟萃分析旨在评估近红外反射（NIRR）技术与参考标准相比在检测近端龋齿方面的准确性。
本评价遵循PRISMA指南，并在PROSPERO（CRD42024570850）中注册。NIRR的合并敏感性、特异性以及汇总接受者操作特征曲线（AUC）下的面积是根据纳入研究中提取的准确性参数计算得出的。使用诊断准确性研究质量评估-2（QUADAS-2）工具评估研究质量。
来自PubMed、MEDLINE、Scopus和科学网的出版物。
研究选择/结果：13项研究符合纳入标准，其中包括6项体外研究和7项临床研究。大多数纳入研究采用波长为850nm的近红外光评估NIRR，少数研究采用780、1050、1550和1600nm的近红外光。体外研究的汇总数据显示，NIRR检测近端龋齿的敏感性（95%置信区间[CI]）、特异性（95%CI）和AUC分别为0.46（0.42 - 0.50）、0.87（0.84 - 0.89）和0.72。对于临床研究，合并敏感性（95%CI）、特异性（95%CI）和AUC分别为0.65（0.62 - 0.68）、0.95（0.94 - 0.95）和0.83。7项研究显示低风险，5项研究显示高风险，1项研究显示偏倚风险和适用性问题不明确。
NIRR在检测后牙近端龋齿方面相对不敏感，但具有高度特异性。由于纳入研究的异质性，有必要谨慎解释结果。未来需要开展研究以确认NIRR在检测龋齿方面的潜力，特别是利用更长波长的NIRR。
NIRR是一种用于龋齿检测的新技术。本研究为有兴趣使用该技术进行龋齿检测的研究人员和临床医生提供了有价值的信息。
