The diagnosis of active root caries is difficult

Yang V, Zhu Y, Curtis D _et al._ Thermal Imaging of Root Caries In Vivo. _J_ _Dent_ _Res_ 2020; DOI: 10.1177/0022034520951157. NEW TECHNOLOGY MAY MEASURE THE EXTENT OF REMINERALISATION OF

ROOT CARIES LESIONS. The diagnosis of active root caries is subjective, depending on judgements of colour, texture, appearance, cavitation and proximity to the gingival margin. No reliable

relationship between appearance and activity has been identified. Radiography is also unreliable. The heat of vaporisation from a tooth surface can be measured by thermal imaging systems.

Water retention in dentine increases with demineralisation. The heat of vaporisation of water from the tooth surface produces a large drop in temperature, which differs between sound or

remineralised dentine and actively carious dentine. In this study, the mean loss of heat from 30 lesions diagnosed clinically as active was four times greater than sound dentine or arrested

lesions. The technology is 'cheap' (not defined) and the temperature changes can be monitored in real time at the chairside. In future, it may be possible to measure the effects of

remineralisation interventions on individual lesions. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Retired GDP/Clinical Teacher, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, UK Paul Hellyer Authors * Paul

Hellyer View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Hellyer, P.

The diagnosis of active root caries is difficult. _Br Dent J_ 229, 473 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-2233-z Download citation * Published: 09 October 2020 * Issue Date: October

2020 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-2233-z SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable

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