Diagnosis of occlusal caries using optical coherence tomography in a real clinical situation

抄録

Purpose: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging device that can create cross-sectional images of tooth structure. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of dental OCT system for occlusal caries in a real clinical situation.

Methods: Twenty-four occlusal locations on 20 teeth were selected from 12 patients (mean age: 39.6 years). Swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) images were taken from the occlusal surfaces to diagnose occlusal enamel caries using the international caries detection and assessment system (ICDAS) grading. Indices of sensitivity and specificity for the detection of superficial enamel demineralization (code 1), distinct enamel demineralization (code 2), and enamel caries (code 3) were calculated from the results of visual inspection and SS-OCT obtained by three dentists with less than 2 years clinical experience.

Results: The sensitivity of visual inspection and SS-OCT for enamel demineralization (code 1) were 0.22 and 0.55; for enamel demineralization (code 2) were 0.50 and 0.61; and for enamel caries (code 3) were 0.22 and 0.44, respectively. The specificity of visual inspection and SS-OCT were 0.52 and 0.78, respectively.

Conclusion: SS-OCT can provide excellent diagnostic performance for occlusal enamel caries in a real clinical situation.