Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33928770›Full record

ArticleJournal of biomedical optics2021

Detection and monitoring of early dental caries and erosion using three-dimensional enhanced truncated-correlation photothermal coherence tomography imaging.

Sohrab Roointan, Pantea Tavakolian, Koneswaran S Sivagurunathan, Andreas Mandelis, Stephen H Abrams

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of biomedical optics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 41% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Organization of Dental Care for Children, Including Those with Autism Spectrum Disorders.International journal of clinical pediatric dentistry · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Sohrab RoointanUniversity of Toronto, Center for Advanced Diffusion-Wave and Photoacoustic Technologies, Department, Canada.
Pantea TavakolianUniversity of Toronto, Center for Advanced Diffusion-Wave and Photoacoustic Technologies, Department, Canada.
Koneswaran S SivagurunathanUniversity of Toronto, Center for Advanced Diffusion-Wave and Photoacoustic Technologies, Department, Canada.
Andreas MandelisUniversity of Toronto, Center for Advanced Diffusion-Wave and Photoacoustic Technologies, Department, Canada.
Stephen H AbramsQuantum Dental Technologies, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
University of Toronto · CAXanadu Quantum Technologies (Canada) · CA

Funding

CIHR
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

significanceDental caries is the most common oral disease, with significant effects on healthcare systems and quality of life. Developing diagnostic methods for early caries detection is key to reducing this burden and enabling non-invasive treatment as opposed to the drill-and-fill approach.

aimThe application of a thermophotonic-based 3D imaging modality [enhanced truncated-correlation photothermal coherence tomography (eTC-PCT)] to early dental caries is investigated. To this end, the detection threshold, sensitivity, and 3D lesion reconstruction capability of eTC-PCT in imaging artificially generated caries and surface erosion are evaluated. APPROACH: eTC-PCT employs a diode laser with pulsed excitation, a mid-IR camera, and an in-house developed image reconstruction algorithm to produce depth-resolved 2D images and 3D reconstructions. Starting with healthy teeth, dental caries and surface erosion are simulated in vitro through application of specific demineralizing/eroding acidic solutions.

resultseTC-PCT can detect artificial caries as early as 2 days after onset of artificial demineralization and after 45 s of surface erosion, with a laser power equivalent to 64% of maximum permissible exposure. In both cases, the lesion is not visible to the eye and undetected by x-rays. eTC-PCT is capable of monitoring lesion progression in 2-day increments and generating 3D tomographic reconstructions of the advancing lesion.

conclusionseTC-PCT shows great potential for further development as a dental imaging modality combining low detection threshold, high sensitivity to lesion progression, 3D reconstruction capability, and lack of ionizing radiation. These features enable early diagnosis and frequent monitoring, making eTC-PCT a promising technology for facilitating preventive dentistry.

Indexed as

Dental CariesQuality of LifeAlgorithmsHumansImaging, Three-DimensionalTomographyTomography, Optical Coherenceactive thermographydental caries detectiondental erosion detectiondental thermal imagingenhanced truncated-correlation photothermal coherence tomographynon-invasive thermophotonic imaging

Identifiers

PMID33928770
PMCPMC8084349
OpenAlexW3157466505

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.