Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40442710›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2025

Assessment of two novel methods for detecting non-cavitated, smooth surface enamel lesions: an in vitro study.

Joel M White, Pragati Nahar, Puja Kukreti, Jonathan Mangum, Ann Solterbeck, Rachel Jensen, Leslie Plack, Ram Vaderhobli, Larry Jenson

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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

9 authors.

Joel M WhiteDepartment of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, 707 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA.
Pragati NaharUCSF School of Dentistry, 707 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA.
Puja KukretiUCSF School of Dentistry, 707 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA.
Jonathan MangumIncisive Technologies Pty Ltd, Level 6, 41 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia.
Ann SolterbeckStatistical Revelations Pty Ltd., 41 The Parade Ocean Grove, Melbourne, VIC, 3226, Australia.
Rachel JensenCentre for Biopharmaceutical Excellence, Incisive Technologies, Level 11, 655 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, 3000, Australia.
Leslie PlackDepartment of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, 707 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA.
Ram VaderhobliDepartment of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, 707 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA.
Larry JensonDepartment of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, 707 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA. ljenson@sonic.net.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe objective of this study was to compare two new non-cavitated caries lesion detector methods, LumiCare (LC) and BlueCheck (BC), to each other and to the traditional visual/tactile method (TM) of non-cavitated enamel caries lesion detection on smooth surface lesions.

methodsIn this non-inferiority study, forty extracted human teeth with International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) level 1 and 2 smooth-surface lesions were evaluated in standard operatory conditions by three ICDAS-trained dentists using the traditional visual and tactile method, the LumiCare method, and the BlueCheck method of detection. For each endpoint of Sensitivity (Se) and Specificity (Sp), a generalized mixed model was fitted with positive (negative) agreement (yes/no) as the outcome and method (LC or BC), evaluator and evaluator *method included as fixed effects.

resultsStatistical analysis shows that the LumiCare and BlueCheck methods of detection are substantially equivalent and compare favorably to the traditional method of lesion detection. Inter-rater reliability and intra-rater reliability ratings were moderate to good.

conclusionsThis study supports the indications for use for both LumiCare and BlueCheck as aids to visualization of early carious lesions. LumiCare and BlueCheck are substantially equivalent to each other in their ability to differentiate between demineralized enamel and sound enamel. Each may help to educate patients, monitor lesion progression following re-mineralizing therapy, and train beginning dentists in the use of ICDAS.

Indexed as

Dental CariesDental EnamelHumansObserver VariationReproducibility of ResultsSensitivity and SpecificityTouchCarious detectionDemineralizationICDASMinimally Invasive DentistryNon-cavitated caries lesions

Identifiers

PMID40442710
PMCPMC12121001

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Registered trials

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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.