title: Detection of initial caries lesions on smooth surfaces by quantitative light-induced fluorescence and visual examination: an in vivo comparison.
abstract: The aim of this clinical study was to compare the outcome of quantitative laser/light-induced fluorescence (QLF) and visual inspection (VI) for the detection of initial caries lesions on all maxillary and mandibular smooth surfaces in caries-risk adolescents. The subjects were 34 students, mean age 15 yr. A total of 879 buccal and 882 lingual surfaces were air-dried and visually examined at a magnification of x3.5. Fluorescence images of each smooth surface were captured with QLF\clin equipment, and QLF software 2.00 was used to display, store, and analyse the images. Fluorescence loss (deltaF; %) and area of the lesion (A; mm2), and fluorescence loss integrated over the lesion area (deltaQ; deltaF x A; % x mm2), were determined. The presence or absence of initial caries lesions was scored using both VI and QLF. A total of 87.2% of all smooth surfaces were scored as sound or initially carious when assessed by VI + QLF in combination: 4.9% were detected by VI alone and 7.9% by QLF alone. The parameters DeltaF, A, and DeltaQ differed significantly between lesions registered with VI + QLF and QLF alone. It was concluded that (i) QLF seems to be a sensitive method that is suitable for the detection of visually undetected initial caries lesions; and (ii) that the clinical use of QLF is limited by several confounding factors in caries-risk adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Dentistry, University of Jena, Jena, Germany. roswitha.heinrich-weltzien@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Roswitha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heinrich-Weltzien
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kühnisch
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ifland
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tranaeus
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Angmar-Månsson
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stösser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003732:Dental Caries Activity Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D008437:Maxilla; D008852:Microradiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017001:Tooth Demineralization / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control