title: Comparison of quantitative light-induced fluorescence, digital photography and transverse microradiography for quantification of enamel remineralization.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) and digital photography (DP) have been proposed as clinical methods for measuring changes in enamel mineral content. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of QLF and DP with the in vitro gold standard transverse microradiography (TMR) to measure the remineralization of enamel subsurface lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subsurface lesions were formed in enamel (n = 40) and exposed to remineralization solutions for 10 days. Changes were analysed by DP, QLF and TMR to determine percentage changes in luminescence (%L), fluorescence (%F) and mineral content (%R), respectively and correlation between these parameters determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlations between TMR and QLF (r = 0.63), TMR and DP (r = 0.59), and DP and QLF (r = 0.64) were all moderate but statistically significant (p < 0.001). The variability in %L and, to a lesser extent, %F values significantly impacted on the potential role of DP and QLF as methods by which mineral content changes produced by remineralization treatments could be accurately measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both QLF and DP provided data that correlated moderately with TMR data. QLF images were easier to analyse, free of glare and had less variability compared with those produced using DP.
authors.affiliation: Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre, Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Cochrane
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Manton
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008852:Microradiography / Q000379:methods*; D023861:Photography, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D014089:Tooth Remineralization