Diagnosis and detection of

caries
Dynamic process of caries
 Methods of caries detection
• Visual
• Dental explorer (visual-tactile method)
• Radiograph
• Fiber optic transillumination (FOTI)
• Electrical conductance measurement (ECM)
• Laser fluorescence measurement (DignoDent)
• Ultrasonic caries detector
 Visual method
• Adequate light
• Surface should be cleaned & dried
• Caries detected by change in color or
cavitations in tooth surface
– Incipient lesions/non-cavitated lesions
– Cavitated lesions
 Incipient lesions
• White lesions
– Caries penetration though the half-way to
enamel only
• Brown lesions
– Caries penetration through enamel and may
involve dentine as well
• Grey lesions
– Always involve dentine
Probing of incipient lesion
 Radiographs
• Bite-wing radiograph
– Essential for detection of proximal lesions
– Can help to detect the depth of lesion
– Can help to detect the amount of Residual
Dentine Thickness (RDT)
Digital and subtraction radiography
Fibro-optic trans-illumination
FOTI
FOTI
Electronic caries monitoring (ECM)
ECM
Quantitative light-induced
fluorescence (QLF)
QLF
diagnoDent