LAUSR

In dentistry, near-infrared (NIR) technology has been studied for decades that is being applied for the detection of dental damages without using of ionizing radiation. Based on the interaction between dental tissue and NIR light such as transmission, absorption and scattering, the teeth structure and dental lesions can be observed by NIR image. The aim of this study was to build the dental diagnostic device using NIR light at 850-nm wavelength for detecting the early and hidden dental damages, that are not observed by X-rays. According to the various types of teeth samples, the transillumination and the scattering methods were designed and applied for capturing the teeth structures. The transillumination technique was used for thin teeth such as incisor and canine while the scattering system for observing occlusal surface. The results show that the areas suspected to be the demineralized enamel are distinctly distinguished from the surrounding sound tissues and especially, the stain and pigmentation don’t appear in NIR image. The designed device meets some requirements such as simple setup, safety and affordable price for the purpose of replacement of imported equipment.