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Seeing through tooth decay
August 25, 2008X-ray spectral analysis reveals early-stage dental caries
Dental caries afflict at least 90% of the world's population at some time in their lives. Detecting the first signs of this disease, which can be lethal in extreme cases, just got easier thanks to work by researchers in India discussed in the latest issue of the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology.
R. Siva Kumar of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, at RMK Engineering College, in Tamil Nadu, explains that dental caries, known colloquially as tooth decay or dental cavities, is an infectious disease which damages the structures of teeth. The disease causes toothache, tooth loss, infection of the jawbone and beyond, and in severe cases, death.
Caries are caused by acid-producing bacteria that feed on fermentable carbohydrates including sucrose, fruit sugars, and glucose. The higher level of acidity in the mouth due to this bacterial activity effectively dissolves the mineral content of the tooth. In the USA, dental caries is the most common chronic childhood disease, being at least five times more common than asthma. It is the primary cause of tooth loss in children, while between a third and two thirds of people over 50 years experience caries too.
There are two types of dental caries, those that form on the smooth surfaces of the teeth and those in the pits and fissures. The latter are difficult to detect visually or manually with a dental explorer. Detecting caries in the early stages of development is important for saving affected teeth and avoiding the possibility of tooth loss and invasive surgery at later stages. Siva Kumar suggests that X-rays of a patient's teeth analyzed by specialist software could help.
The researchers at RMK engineering college have now developed an X-ray image analysis technique that reveals the pixel intensities at different X-ray wavelengths, much like the histogram analysis of images by a high-specification digital camera. Siva Kumar explains that the software reveals that the X-ray histogram and spectrum are very different depending on whether the teeth X-rayed are normal or exhibiting the early stages of decay. The researchers found that in the X-ray histogram the pixel intensities are concentrated in different ranges depending on degree of decay.
The technique could be very useful for dental clinicians, the researchers explain, and could be extended using neural networks to automatically identify the different stages of dental caries.
Inderscience Publishers
Caries are caused by acid-producing bacteria that feed on fermentable carbohydrates including sucrose, fruit sugars, and glucose. The higher level of acidity in the mouth due to this bacterial activity effectively dissolves the mineral content of the tooth. In the USA, dental caries is the most common chronic childhood disease, being at least five times more common than asthma. It is the primary cause of tooth loss in children, while between a third and two thirds of people over 50 years experience caries too.
There are two types of dental caries, those that form on the smooth surfaces of the teeth and those in the pits and fissures. The latter are difficult to detect visually or manually with a dental explorer. Detecting caries in the early stages of development is important for saving affected teeth and avoiding the possibility of tooth loss and invasive surgery at later stages. Siva Kumar suggests that X-rays of a patient's teeth analyzed by specialist software could help.
The researchers at RMK engineering college have now developed an X-ray image analysis technique that reveals the pixel intensities at different X-ray wavelengths, much like the histogram analysis of images by a high-specification digital camera. Siva Kumar explains that the software reveals that the X-ray histogram and spectrum are very different depending on whether the teeth X-rayed are normal or exhibiting the early stages of decay. The researchers found that in the X-ray histogram the pixel intensities are concentrated in different ranges depending on degree of decay.
The technique could be very useful for dental clinicians, the researchers explain, and could be extended using neural networks to automatically identify the different stages of dental caries.
Inderscience Publishers
Tooth Decay Current Events and Tooth Decay News RSSNew bacterial species found in human mouth
Scientists have discovered a new species of bacteria in the mouth. The finding could help scientists to understand tooth decay and gum disease and may lead to better treatments, according to research published in the August issue of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
Gummy bears that fight plaque
The tooth-protecting sugar substitute xylitol has been incorporated into gummy bears to produce a sweet snack that may prevent dental problems.
Mother's vitamin D status during pregnancy will affect her baby's dental health
Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood tooth decay.
Novel hydrogel systems for dentin regeneration
Dental caries, or tooth decay, continues to be the most prevalent infectious disease in the world, presenting significant public health challenges and socio-economic consequences.
Topical oral syrup prevents early childhood caries
Dental researchers at the University of Washington have reported a significant reduction of tooth decay in toddlers who were treated with the topical syrup xylitol, a naturally occurring non-cavity-causing sweetener.
Overweight kids have fewer cavities, new study shows
Contrary to conventional wisdom, overweight children have fewer cavities and healthier teeth compared to their normal weight peers, according to a study published in this month's issue of Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology.
Scientists launch first comprehensive database of human oral microbiome
Scientists know more today than ever before about the microbes that inhabit our mouths. They know so much, in fact, that gathering all of the relevant bits of information into one place when designing experiments can be a job in itself.
Ultra-fast, ultra-intense laser has clean-cut advantage
Many people equate lasers with a sci-fi battle in a galaxy far, far away or, closer to home, with grocery store scanners and compact disc players.
Microbial 'cheaters' help scientists ID 'social' genes
The first genome-wide search for genes governing social behavior has found that even the simplest social creatures -- the amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum -- have more than 100 genes that help regulate their cooperative behavior.
Researchers seek to make cavity-causing bacteria self-destruct
Bacteria that eat sugar and release cavity-causing acid onto teeth may soon be made dramatically more vulnerable to their own acid. Researchers have identified key genes and proteins that, if interfered with, can take away the ability of a key bacterial species to thrive as its acidic waste builds up in the mouth.
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