The Use of Optical Coherence Tomography in Dental Diagnostics: A State-of-the-Art Review

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography provides sections of tissues in a noncontact and noninvasive manner. The device measures the time delay and intensity of the light scattered or reflected from biological tissues, which results in tomographic imaging of their internal structure. This is achieved by scanning tissues at a resolution ranging from 1 to 15 μm. OCT enables real-time in situ imaging of tissues without the need for biopsy, histological procedures, or the use of X-rays, so it can be used in many fields of medicine. Its properties are not only particularly used in ophthalmology, in the diagnosis of all layers of the retina, but also increasingly in cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, oncology, and dermatology. The basic properties of OCT, that is, noninvasiveness and low wattage of the used light, have also been appreciated in analytical technology by conservators, who use it to identify the quality and age of paintings, ceramics, or glass. Recently, the OCT technique of visualization is being tested in different fields of dentistry, which is depicted in the article.

Assessment of simulated osteoporosis in alveolar bone using optical coherence tomography

“…The mean values increased in function to the osteoporosis simulation progress (Figure A,B). This finding agrees with other studies using tooth hard tissues, where the optical attenuation coefficient value increases in a positive relation to the tooth mineral loss . The comparison between the sound vs slabs immerged in EDTA in different periods presented significant differences, while the comparison among samples immersed in EDTA in different periods did not, except for mandible samples immersed for 30 days.…”

“…The Δ R mean values increased in function to the osteoporosis simulation progress (Figure C,D). This finding also agrees with studies using tooth hard tissues, where similar methods presented higher Δ R for demineralized samples . The Δ R values augmentation are related to the increase of backscattering and reflection intensities, due to the higher quantity and dimension of bone‐air and bone‐liquid interfaces, intensifying the light that returns to the detector and decreasing the absorbed intensity in function of the penetration .…”

“…The Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non‐invasive technique, where the near infrared (NIR) light backscattered from a sample is used for 1D (A‐scan), 2D (B‐scan) and 3D image acquisition. OCT has been successfully used in caries and periodontal disease diagnosis and monitoring , and is able to detect and quantify enamel and dentin desmineralization and remineralization.…”

Optical coherence tomography follow‐up of patients treated from periodontal disease

“…Despite being a promising method for optical diagnosis in dental practice, as reviewed in , there are few reports of its applications in periodontics , including one of the pioneer applications of OCT in dentistry , and to the best of our knowledge none in clinical practice for treatment follow‐up.…”

Assessment of the Adaptation of Interim Crowns using Different Measurement Techniques

“…Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive method that utilizes a beam of partially coherent light to create tomographic images. The recently introduced swept source optical coherence tomography (SS‐OCT) has better image resolution and scanning speed using a wavelength‐tuned laser as the light source . Potential applications of OCT in dentistry have been reported such as caries assessment, enamel cracks detection, periodontal/gingival evaluation, and materials defect research .…”