Analysis of Fluorescence Lifetime for the Characterization of the State of Dental Enamel

Abstract

Caries is one of the most common human diseases, and its early diagnosis at the white spot stage is critical to prevent irreversible enamel destruction. Existing methods are often insensitive to early demineralization. The fiber-optic FLIM system provides non-invasiveness, compactness, in vivo access, and clinical potential, favorably differing from bulky microscope-based systems.
In this work, using a constructed fiber-optic system based on time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), the autofluorescence of dental enamel was studied in normal condition and in caries at the white spot stage. Measurements were performed under excitation at 375 nm, power 1.5 mW, with emission detection in the 460–500 nm channel. For each sample, mean autofluorescence lifetime values were obtained. It was shown that the mean lifetime values of a tooth in normal condition and with signs of caries at the white spot stage differ quantitatively. In normal enamel, the mean fluorescence lifetime was higher than in the area of the chalky (white) spot: demineralization is accompanied by its decrease. Quantitative assessment included the mean value and standard deviation for each group. Statistical analysis by the Mann–Whitney test revealed a significant difference between normal and white spot at p ≤ 0.05. The work was performed on extracted teeth; the groups included samples without lesions and with white spot. The results confirm the prospects of the fiber-optic FLIM system as a non-invasive label-free method for assessing enamel condition.
This study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation under project no. 26-79-10316

Speaker

Dudenkova Varvara
Privolzhsky Research Medical University
Russia

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