DETECTION OF OCCLUSAL CARIES USING LASER FLUORESCENCE

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Journal of the Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry 2002;29(4):600-606.
Published online November 30, 2002.

DETECTION OF OCCLUSAL CARIES USING LASER FLUORESCENCE

레이저 형광법의 교합면 우식증 탐지 효과

김창기, 이창섭, 이상호

조선대학교 치과대학 소아치과학교실 및 구강생물학교실

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic validity of an incipient occlusal caries using argon laser fluorescence. Extracted human premolars and molars with enamel carious lesion of occlusal surface were assessed using visual examination, visual examination with probing, argon laser fluorescence and histologic depth of carious lesion. The results in each of all the three detection methods were compared to the assessment of histologic depth of carious lesion using polarized microscope. The results from the present study can be summarized as follows; 1. There was highly correlation between the histologic depth of occlusal caries and all three detection methods(P<0.01). 2. The reproducibility(kappa value) of the visual examination, visual examination with probing and argon laser fluorescence between the histologic depth of occlusal caries was 0.189, 0.128, 0.472. The highest correlation was seen between detection of occlusal caries by argon laser fluorescence and histologic scores by polarized microscope. The results from this study indicated that argon laser fluorescence considered to be accurate and reliable method in detecting occlusal caries.

Key Words: Laser fluorescence, Occlusal caries, Reproducibility(kappa value)