title: Objective identification of dental abnormalities with multispectral fluorescence imaging.
abstract: Sensitive methods that can enable early detection of dental diseases (caries and calculus) are desirable in clinical practice. Optical spectroscopic approaches have emerged as promising alternatives owing to their wealth of molecular information and lack of sample preparation requirements. In the present study, using multispectral fluorescence imaging, we have demonstrated that dental caries and calculus can be objectively identified on extracted tooth. Spectral differences among control, carious and calculus conditions were attributed to the porphyrin pigment content, which is a byproduct of bacterial metabolism. Spectral maps generated using different porphyrin bands offer important clues to the spread of bacterial infection. Statistically significant differences utilizing fluorescence intensity ratios were observed among three groups. In contrast to laser induced fluorescence, these methods can provide information about exact spread of the infection and may aid in long term dental monitoring. Successful adoption of this approach for routine clinical usage can assist dentists in implementing timely remedial measures.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|SIB Labs, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|Laser Biomedical Research Center, G. R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Surya Pratap
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: SIB Labs, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Pauli
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fält
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA.
authors.forename: Ishan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barman
authors.affiliation: SIB Labs, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Arto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koistinen
authors.affiliation: Laser Biomedical Research Center, G. R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Ramachandra Rao
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Dasari
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|Dental Education Clinic, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.|Research Unit of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu and Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.|Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Arja M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kullaa
mesh_terms: D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D009057:Stomatognathic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Fluorescence spectroscopy; biophotonics; dentistry; multispectral imaging