Development of polarization dental imaging modality and evaluation of its clinical feasibility
Available online 24 April 2012
Abstract
Objectives
In
the evaluation of tooth color, the specular reflection caused by
roughness or saliva on the tooth surface may cause artifacts in image
analysis. In this study, a polarization dental imaging modality (PDIM)
was developed to obtain cross-polarized images and, therefore, to
address the problem of specular reflection. Its clinical validity was
evaluated by performing 3 studies of shade tab selection for implant,
plaque distribution detection, and evaluation of tooth whitening.
Methods
In vivo
human tooth and shade guide color images were obtained, and the minimum
color difference between them was calculated for the best color
matching shade tab selection. A dental plaque disclosing agent was used
to differentiate plaque regions on teeth, and plaque distribution was
detected by applying the K-means algorithm. In vivo human teeth
were treated with a commercial tooth whitening gel, and tooth whitening
was quantitatively evaluated using the PDIM images.
Results
The
PDIM produced repeatable glare-free tooth color images by effectively
removing the specular reflection from the tooth surface. The
cross-polarized tooth images were successfully utilized for shade guide
selection, plaque detection, and tooth whitening by minimizing artifacts
in the quantitative image analysis. The PDIM could simultaneously
provide both qualitative and quantitative assessment of the tooth
condition in clinical diagnosis.
Conclusions
The
clinical feasibility of the PDIM was successfully verified in 3
clinical studies by showing its clinical efficacy as a new imaging
modality.
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