We have, in this preliminary study, investigated the use of optical coherence tomography for diagnosis of periodontal disease. We took in vitro OCT images of the dental and periodontal tissues from a young pig and compared them to histological sections. These images distinguish tooth and soft tissue relationships that are important in diagnosing and assessing periodontal disease. We have imaged the attachment of gingiva to the tooth surface and located the cemento-enamel junction. This junction is an important reference point for defining attachment level in the diagnosis of periodontal disease. the boundary between enamel and dentin is also visible for most of the length of the anatomical crown, allowing quantitation of enamel thickness and character.

Date Published: 15 May 1997
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 2973, Lasers in Dentistry III, (15 May 1997); doi: 10.1117/12.273591

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2973:
Lasers in Dentistry III
Harvey A. Wigdor D.D.S.; John D. B. Featherstone; Peter Rechmann D.D.S., Editor(s)