Detecting Short-Term Changes in the Activity of Caries Lesions with the Aid of New Technologies

TL;DR

This paper reviews new technologies for detecting and monitoring dental caries changes over time, aiming to improve prevention and treatment strategies.

Contribution

The paper evaluates recent technological advancements for caries activity assessment and their applicability in both research and clinical settings.

Findings

New technologies aid in earlier detection and longitudinal monitoring of caries lesions.

Clinical visual inspection indices have been refined to support prevention-driven dental care.

The choice of technology depends on the required resolution of diagnostic information.

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of new technologies for the assessment of caries and more in particular changes in caries activity. Over the past decades, we have seen a shift from restorative treatment caries to a prevention-driven approach. Also there is a need for shorter and less expensive caries clinical trials. These demand earlier detection of lesions and the monitoring of lesion changes longitudinally in time, which has led to the development of new technologies to aid clinical visual examination. Also clinical visual inspection indices have been refined to fit this purpose. There is a constant flow of technologies emerging and disappearing. This review discusses the merits of recent developments regarding their respective uses for research purposes in testing new caries prevention strategies as well as in clinical caries management in dental private practice. Which technique to choose highly depends on the needed resolution of information.