Justification of the application of Raman-fluorescence diagnostics to assess dental status of the oral cavity

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the influence of visibility, grayness and lighting conditions of the dentist’s workplace at the indicators of oral cavity homeostasis as well as to justify the application of digital Raman-fluorescence diagnostics for studying dental status of the oral cavity so as to exclude the subjective factor in visual indicators. Materials and methods. 90 patients took part in the trial. Group 1 (controls): participants with the controlled hygiene of their oral cavity and without pronounced dental pathologies; Group 2 (studied): 2A – patients with uncontrolled hygiene and concomitant unsatisfactory hygienic condition of their oral cavity, 2B – patients with controlled hygiene and previous unsatisfactory hygienic condition of their oral cavity. There were 30 patients in each group, and all of them had carious lesions. Patients of Groups 1 and 2A cleaned their teeth by the generally accepted scheme. In Group 2B, patients cleaned their teeth under control, and the procedure duration had been calculated individually by laser fluorescence diagnostics. In both groups, the degree of hard tissues mineralization was determined with the Raman diagnostics. Patients from the studied group were prescribed remineralisation therapy. Visual methods and Raman-fluorescence diagnostics were used to assess dental status of the oral cavity. Results and discussion. There was a significant improvement in all indicators in Group 2B compared to Group 2A; no changes were observed in the control group. Errors in the visual measurement of oral cavity dental status can range from 200 to 400%. To eliminate disadvantages of the visual assessment of the oral cavity, Raman-fluorescence diagnostics has to be applied, the results of which do not depend on color, grayness and lighting of the examined object. Conclusion. To eliminate disadvantages of the visual method for assessing the oral cavity condition, Raman-fluorescent diagnostics, which does not depend on color, grayness and lighting of the examined object, has to be applied. The Raman-fluorescent and visual diagnostics allow to objectively assess dental status of the oral cavity.