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Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence

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Detection and Assessment of Dental Caries

Abstract

Quantitative Light Induced fluorescence (QLF) distinguishes between an initial caries lesion and sound teeth by assessing fluorescence loss. Visible blue light irradiating the teeth and reaching the dentinoenamel junction (DEJ) induces fluorescence. This mechanism results in light scatters inside a white spot 5–10 times more than that in normal enamel, thus the lesion appears darker than sound enamel. The fluorescence loss detected by QLF can be visualized as an image, and with specialized software it is possible to nondestructively quantify the physical characteristics of caries lesions as numerical values. Previous studies have found that ΔF, one of the QLF parameters is strongly correlated with lesion depth. The systems is also able to assess [AZ1] red fluorescence, which reflects bacterial activity calculated by delta R (ΔR, in %).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Dentistry and Public Oral Health, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Baek-II Kim

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  1. Baek-II Kim
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Correspondence to Baek-II Kim .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Comprehensive Care, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Andrea Ferreira Zandona

  2. King’s College London Dental Institute, London, UK

    Christopher Longbottom

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Kim, BI. (2019). Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence. In: Ferreira Zandona, A., Longbottom, C. (eds) Detection and Assessment of Dental Caries. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16967-1_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16967-1_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-16965-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-16967-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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