Detection Of Occlusal Caries Research Articles

Comparison of occlusal caries detection using the ICDAS criteria on extracted teeth or their photographs.

BackgroundUsing photographs of occlusal surfaces instead of extracted teeth for the detection of caries can be useful in multicenter studies or education. Using a panel of observers, ICDAS scores on teeth or photographs were evaluated against the histological gold standard. The hypothesis was that both outcomes were equivalent.MethodsFour examiners with different experience in ICDAS scored photographs of occlusal surfaces of 100 extracted teeth on a monitor using ICDAS criteria. Two of the examiners had previously scored extracted teeth prior to photography. Digital images of histological sections of the teeth were observed by all examiners and consensus scores were given for each investigation site (gold standard). Kappa statistics and Spearman correlation coefficients as well as repeated measure ANOVA were performed. ROC curves were constructed for each examiner and the areas under the ROC-curves (AUC) of both scoring techniques (extracted teeth, digital images) were compared (α = 0.05).ResultsIntra- and inter-rater kappa for ICDAS on teeth were 0.81–0.94 and on photographs 0.54–0.88, respectively. Correlation with histology was 0.58– 0.61 for the teeth and 0.50–0.62 for the photographs. AUC of ICDAS scores of extracted teeth (mean 0.89) were slightly higher than those for photographs (mean 0.84). However, both AUC values were not statistically significant (p = 0.38).ConclusionUsing photographs to assess occlusal surfaces with the ICDAS criteria was not statistically different from scoring the extracted teeth.

Detection of questionable occlusal carious lesions using an electrical bioimpedance method with fractional electrical model.

This in vitro study evaluated the diagnostic performance of an alternative electric bioimpedance spectroscopy technique (BIS-STEP) detect questionable occlusal carious lesions. Six specialists carried out the visual (V), radiography (R), and combined (VR) exams of 57 sound or non-cavitated occlusal carious lesion teeth classifying the occlusal surfaces in sound surface (H), enamel caries (EC), and dentinal caries (DC). Measurements were based on the current response to a step voltage excitation (BIS-STEP). A fractional electrical model was used to predict the current response in the time domain and to estimate the model parameters: Rs and Rp (resistive parameters), and C and α (fractional parameters). Histological analysis showed caries prevalence of 33.3% being 15.8% hidden caries. Combined examination obtained the best traditional diagnostic results with specificity = 59.0%, sensitivity = 70.9%, and accuracy = 60.8%. There were statistically significant differences in bioimpedance parameters between the H and EC groups (p = 0.016) and between the H and DC groups (Rs, p = 0.006; Rp, p = 0.022, and α, p = 0.041). Using a suitable threshold for the Rs, we obtained specificity = 60.7%, sensitivity = 77.9%, accuracy = 73.2%, and 100% of detection for deep lesions. It can be concluded that BIS-STEP method could be an important tool to improve the detection and management of occlusal non-cavitated primary caries and pigmented sites.

Clinical performance of ICDAS II, radiovisiography, and alternating current impedance spectroscopy device for the detection and assessment of occlusal caries in primary molars.

To investigate the clinical performance of International Caries Detection and Assessment System II (ICDAS II) (a ranked visual scale), radiovisiography (RVG) (a digital radiography device), and an alternating current impedance spectroscopy (ACIS) device for the detection and assessment of occlusal caries in primary teeth. Twenty-five molars were assessed using all three systems under standardized in vivo conditions. They were then extracted and also assessed by examiners in vitro. Downer's histological scoring criterion was the validation gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and area under the receiver-operator curves were calculated for enamel caries and dentine caries. Repeatability was analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The performances of the systems between in vivo and in vitro settings by the same examiner were also compared. SPSS version 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used to analyze the data. Comparison of the performance of all three systems for all caries and dentine caries using receiver operating characteristic curves was calculated using a range of cutoffs. Reliability was assessed using ICC method. ICDAS II system showed the highest validity and repeatability for assessing occlusal caries in the primary molars. RVG was less accurate than the ICDAS II for detecting caries lesions confined to enamel. However, when dentine was involved, RVG was found to be as effective as ICDAS II. Within the limitations of the study, the in vivo results of ICDAS II and RVG were satisfactory and comparable to those obtained in vitro, with ICDAS II performing better. The ACIS device was least accurate among the three systems for caries assessment.

Evaluation of different Diagnostic Modalities for Diagnosis of Dental Caries: An in vivo Study.

AimThe aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the efficacy of different diagnostic aids for diagnosis of dental caries and to compare the validity in terms of sensitivity and specificity of all four diagnostic modalities for diagnosis of caries.Materials and methodsOcclusal surfaces of 100 primary and permanent molars were examined using the four diagnostic systems (visual, intraoral camera, DIAGNOdent, and DIAGNOdent with dye). These results were compared with operative intervention gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for each diagnostic system for both enamel and dentin caries. Interrater agreement was calculated for each diagnostic system using kappa statistics.ResultsFor both enamel and dentin caries, the highest sensitivity values were provided by DIAGNOdent (0.91 and 0.72) and lowest for visual examination on wet surface (0.60 and 0.50). For both enamel and dentin caries, the specificity was found to be highest for intraoral camera on dry surface and lowest for visual examination. The DIAGNOdent gave the highest value of interrater agreement (kappa), i.e., 0.816 as compared with 0.03 for visual examination.ConclusionThe study clearly demonstrated that DIAGNO-dent was the most accurate and valid system tested for the detection of occlusal caries. It has the advantage of quantifying the mineral content, helping to improve the diagnostic efficacy and treatment and accurate assessment of fissures where the visual examination alone is not adequate, thus complementing the traditional dental examination.How to cite this articleZaidi I, Somani R, Jaidka S, Nishad M, Singh S, Tomar D. Evaluation of different Diagnostic Modalities for Diagnosis of Dental Caries: An in vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(4):320-325.

Analiza porównawcza wartości diagnostycznej tomografii stożkowej i radiografii cyfrowej w wykrywaniu próchnicy początkowej na powierzchniach żujących

Background. Recent Studies have shown that a significant portion of occlusal caries could not be diagnosed in the early stages because of various reasons. Early detection of superficial caries is important for preventive dentistry.Objectives. This study aims to compare the quality of occlusal caries detection using digital phosphor storage plate (PSP) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).Material and Methods. For this experimental study 88 human molars were used. The clinical appearances of the occlusal surfaces of the teeth ranged from sound to discolor with no macroscopic cavitation. They were imaged using a digital system (PSP) and CBCT (NewTom 3G). Three independent observers assessed the images twice. ROC curve was used for assessment of the imaging systems accuracy for the detection of caries. A histological investigation was used as a gold standard. Methods were analyzed by ANOVA and t-test with p value of 0.05. Tests were performed with STATA software (version 11). Intra and inter observers agreement for each image set was assessed by ICC.Results. The average of observers results in caries detection with PSP images was 0.34 (P value = 0.208) and with CBCT images was equal to 0.45 (P value = 0.722). This showed that the diagnostic accuracy of CBCT and PSP was not acceptable compared with the gold standard. Although CBCT was a little higher than PSP on ROC curve, statistically there were no significant differences between both images in detecting occlusal caries. The ICC results showed acceptable agreement between observers in caries detection by CBCT and PSP, but the agreement between observers using these image modalities and the gold standard was poor.Conclusion. The accuracy of NewTom 3G CBCT for detecting occlusal caries was slightly better than PSP (not significantly), but none of them had the sufficient diagnostic accuracy for detecting incipient occlusal caries. Therefore, in these cases it is necessary to use other methods to improve detection.

In vitro Detection of Occlusal Caries on Permanent Teeth by a Visual, Light-Induced Fluorescence and Photothermal Radiometry and Modulated Luminescence Methods

Background: The paradigm shift towards the nonsurgical management of dental caries relies on the early detection of the disease. Detection of caries at an early stage is of unequivocal importance for early preventive intervention. Objective: The aim of this in vitro study is to evaluate the performance of a visual examination using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) criteria, two quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) systems - Inspektor™ Pro and QLF-D Biluminator™ 2 (Inspektor Research Systems B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands) - and a photothermal radiometry and modulated luminescence, The Canary System® (Quantum Dental Technologies, Toronto, Ont., Canada) on the detection of primary occlusal caries on permanent teeth. Methods: A total of 60 teeth with occlusal surface sites ranging from sound to noncavitated lesions (ICDAS 0-4) were assessed with each detection method twice in a random order. Histological validation was used to compare methods for sensitivity, specificity, percent correct, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), at standard and optimum sound thresholds. Interexaminer agreement and intraexaminer repeatability were measured using intraclass correlation coefficients. Results: Interexaminer agreement ranged between 0.48 (The Canary System®) and 0.96 (QLF-D Biluminator™ 2). Intraexaminer repeatability ranges were 0.33-0.63 (The Canary System®) and 0.96-0.99 (QLF-D Biluminator™ 2). The sensitivity range was 0.75-0.96 while that of specificity was 0.43-0.89. The AUC were 0.79 (The Canary System®), 0.87 (ICDAS), 0.90 (Inspektor™ Pro), and 0.94 (QLF-D Biluminator™ 2). Conclusion: ICDAS had the best combination of sensitivity and specificity followed by QLF-D Biluminator™ 2 at optimum threshold.

A computer-aided automated methodology for the detection and classification of occlusal caries from photographic color images

The aim of this work is to present a computer-aided automated methodology for the assessment of carious lesions, according to the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II), which are located on the occlusal surfaces of posterior permanent teeth from photographic color tooth images. The proposed methodology consists of two stages: (a) the detection of regions of interest and (b) the classification of the detected regions according to ICDAS ΙΙ. In the first stage, pre-processing, segmentation and post-processing mechanisms were employed. For each pixel of the detected regions, a 15×15 neighborhood is used and a set of intensity-based and texture-based features were extracted. A correlation based technique was applied to select a subset of 36 features which were given as input into the classification stage, where five classifiers (J48, Random Tree, Random Forests, Support Vector Machines and Naïve Bayes) were compared to conclude to the best one, in our case, to Random Forests. The methodology was evaluated on a set of 103 digital color images where 425 regions of interest from occlusal surfaces of extracted permanent teeth were manually segmented and classified, based on visual assessments by two experts. The methodology correctly detected 337 out of 340 regions in the detection stage with accuracy of detection 80%. For the classification stage an overall accuracy 83% is achieved. The proposed methodology provides an objective and fully automated caries diagnostic system for occlusal carious lesions with similar or better performance of a trained dentist taking into consideration the available medical knowledge.

An In Vivo S tudy of Different Methods of Detection and Quantification of Occlusal Dental Caries in Permanent Molars

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate a new laser fluorescence device, DIAGNOdent for occlusal caries detection and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of DIAGNOdent with conventional bitewing radiography. And to determine the sensitivity and specificity of DIAGNOdent. Methods: 60 teeth were selected having pit and fissure carious lesions by 2 examiners. After visual and tactile examination of each lesion, DIAGNOdent readings were recorded and bitewing radiographs were taken. Caries removal was done and volume of the cavity was calculated by packing the cavity with composite of specific density. Results: Correlation between DIAGNOdent and visual tactile is 0.398 (P < 0.05); correlation between DIAGNOdent and radiographic method is 0.578 (P < 0.001). Sensitivity is 0.68 % and specificity is 0.37 %. Conclusion: DIAGNOdent is more accurate than visual- tactile and radiographic methods of caries detection. It is a more sensitive system of occlusal caries detection.

In vitro Detection of Occlusal Caries on Permanent Teeth by a Visual, Light-Induced Fluorescence and Photothermal Radiometry and Modulated Luminescence Methods

In vitro Detection of Occlusal Caries on Permanent Teeth by a Visual, Light-Induced Fluorescence and Photothermal Radiometry and Modulated Luminescence Methods

Validation of micro-computed tomography for occlusal caries detection: an in vitro study

Conventional methods of caries detection, including the gold standard of histological examination, have certain disadvantages that must be addressed prior to validating any other diagnostic technique-current or new. Here we evaluated the validity of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) as an alternative gold-standard technique for caries detection. Sixty teeth with suspected occlusal caries were chosen from a pool of teeth extracted for orthodontic, periodontal, or surgical reasons. Identical reference points were marked on photographs taken for teeth and were used to evaluate each method. Dimensions of caries were assessed by two calibrated examiners using the ICDAS-II visual examination system, bitewing radiographs, and micro-CT. The teeth included in the study were selected randomly from solution before all measurements. For micro-CT, the device was set to 50 kV, 800 µA, pixel size 15 µm (at 1024 × 1024 resolution), and 1° rotation step. NRecon software (SkyScan) was used to obtain reconstructed images. For each diagnostic method, results were compared with histology results using the McNemar test. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was also performed for each method (Z-test; p < 0.05). Besides showing a high correlation with histology results, micro-CT yielded the greatest values at the D3 threshold; moreover, accuracy and area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were greatest at the D1threshold. Our results indicate that micro-CT performs as well as or better than histological examination for the purpose of comparing methods for caries detection.

Effectiveness of teaching International Caries Detection and Assessment System II and its e-learning program to freshman dental students on occlusal caries detection.

Objective:To assess the feasibility of teaching International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II and its e-learning program as tools for occlusal caries detection to freshmen dental students in comparison to dental graduates with 2 years of experience.Materials and Methods:Eighty-four freshmen and 32 dental graduates examined occlusal surfaces of molars/premolars (n = 72) after a lecture and a hands-on workshop. The same procedure was repeated after 1 month following the training with ICDAS II e-learning program. Validation of ICDAS II codes was done histologically. Intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility of ICDAS II severity scores were assessed before and after e-learning using (Fleiss's kappa).Results:The kappa values showed inter-examiner reproducibility ranged from 0.53 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.70 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3) by undergraduates and 0.69 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.95 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3) by graduates. The inter-examiner reproducibility ranged from 0.64 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.89 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3). No statistically significant difference was found between both groups in intra-examiner agreements for assessing ICDAS II codes. A high statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) in correct identification of codes 1, 2, and 4 from before to after e-learning were observed in both groups. The bias indices for the undergraduate group were higher than those of the graduate group.Conclusions:Early exposure of students to ICDAS II is a valuable method of teaching caries detection and its e-learning program significantly improves their caries diagnostic skills.

Occlusal caries detection using random walker algorithm: a graph approach.

The aim of this work is to present a modification of the Random Walker algorithm for the segmentation of occlusal caries from photographic color images. The modification improves the detection and time execution performance of the classical Random Walker algorithm and also deals with the limitations and difficulties that the specific type of images impose to the algorithm. The proposed modification consists of eight steps: 1) definition of the seed points, 2) conversion of the image to gray scale, 3) application of watershed transformation, 4) computation of the centroid of each region, 5) construction of the graph, 6) application of the Random Walker algorithm, 7) smoothing and extraction of the perimeter of the regions of interest and 8) overlay of the results. The algorithm was evaluated using a set of 96 images where 339 areas of interest were manually segmented by an expert. The obtained segmentation accuracy is 93%.

Imaging of occlusal dentine caries: a comparison among conventional radiographs, digital radiographs, and cone-beam computed tomography images

To compare conventional radiographs, digital radiographs, equalized images of digital radiographs, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images for in vitro imaging of occlusal dentine caries. A total of 160 extracted human posterior teeth were evaluated in the study. All teeth were free of restorations and proximal caries. The clinical appearances of the occlusal surfaces of the teeth ranged from sound to discolored, with no macroscopic cavitation. Conventional intraoral radiographs, digital intraoral radiographs, and CBCT images of the teeth were taken. The images were evaluated independently by three observers for the presence of occlusal dentine caries. The teeth were then sectioned and computerized images were obtained for the histological sections using a digital camera linked to a stereomicroscope at 10× magnification. The histological images were assessed for the presence or absence of dentinal caries. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (Az value) were calculated for each diagnostic method. Sensitivity was greatest for CBCT images (mean = 0.63) and lowest for digital radiographs (mean = 0.38). Specificity was greatest for digital radiographs (mean = 0.76) and lowest for CBCT images (mean = 0.64). The mean Az values ranged from 0.56 to 0.60 (P > 0.05). The interobserver and intraobserver agreements were greatest for CBCT images (mean kappa = 0.66 and 0.73, respectively). There were no differences in the accuracy of detection of non-cavitated occlusal dentine caries among the diagnostic modalities used. Cone-beam computed tomography images were more sensitive, while digital radiographs were more specific.

Hidden caries’ challenge diagnosis: case report

Hidden caries is a term used to describe occlusal dentine caries that is missed on a visual examination, but is large and demineralised enough to be detected by another exam for example, radiographs. Case report: This article reports a case of large dentine caries, which presented as to be a small pit-and-fissure carious lesion on the occlusal surface of the right mandibular permanent first molar in a 10-year-old girl. The treatment included root canal treatment and the sealing of the cavity with composite resin. Conclusion: Careful visual examination, with cleaning and drying of teeth, associated to bitewing radiographs may improve occlusal caries detection. Dentists should examine bitewing radiographs carefully for proximal caries and occlusal demineralization. Radiographs are an effective method of caries diagnosis that can avoid large destruction and allows less invasive treatment.

Detection of non-cavitated occlusal caries with impedance spectroscopy and laser fluorescence: an in vitro study.

Objective:To evaluate the performance of an impedance spectroscopy technology for detecting non-cavitated occlusal caries lesions in permanent teeth in vitro. The method was compared with a commonly used laser fluorescence device and validated against histology.Material and Methodology:A non-cavitated sample of 100 extracted posterior teeth was randomly selected and assessed for caries on enamel and dentin level with aid of CarioScan PRO (ACIS) and DIAGNOdent pen (LF pen) by three examiners. After the measurements, the extension of the lesion was histologically determined as gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and receiver-operating curves were calculated. Intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility was expressed by intra class correlation coefficients.Results:The histological caries prevalence was 99% and 41% exhibited dentin caries. The ACIS technique displayed high specificities but almost negligible sensitivities at readings >50. A similar pattern was noted for the LF pen at readings >30. The intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility varied between 0.47 and 0.98 and the values were generally lower for the ACIS technique than for the LF pen. The inter-examiner agreement reached excellent levels with both methods.Conclusions: In vitro,the ACIS technique showed a low ability to disclose occlusal caries lesions in the enamel and/or dentin of non-cavitated permanent molars. However, further in vivo studies of permanent occlusal surfaces are needed to mirror the clinical situation.

Detection of occlusal caries in primary teeth using swept source optical coherence tomography

This study aimed to investigate swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) as a detecting tool for occlusal caries in primary teeth. At the in vitro part of the study, 38 investigation sites of occlusal fissures (noncavitated and cavitated) were selected from 26 extracted primary teeth and inspected visually using conventional dental equipment by six examiners without any magnification. SS-OCT cross-sectional images at 1330-nm center wavelength were acquired on the same locations. The teeth were then sectioned at the investigation site and directly viewed under a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) by two experienced examiners. The presence and extent of caries were scored in each observation. The results obtained from SS-OCT and conventional visual inspections were compared with those of CLSM. Consequently, SS-OCT could successfully detect both cavitated and noncavitated lesions. The magnitude of sensitivity for SS-OCT was higher than those for visual inspection (sensitivity of visual inspection and SS-OCT, 0.70 versus 0.93 for enamel demineralization, 0.49 versus 0.89 for enamel cavitated caries, and 0.36 versus 0.75 for dentin caries). Additionally, occlusal caries of a few clinical cases were observed using SS-OCT in vivo. The results indicate that SS-OCT has a great detecting potential for occlusal caries in primary teeth.

Diagnosis of Occlusal Caries Using Laser Fluorescence Versus Conventional Methods in Permanent Posterior Teeth: A Clinical Study

The purpose of this in vivo study was to compare three different caries detection methods [laser fluorescence (LFE), visual examination (VE), and radiological examination (RE)] for the detection of occlusal caries in permanent posterior teeth. Early diagnosis of caries is critical in the management of dental caries. Two examiners assessed the occlusal surfaces of 217 teeth by visual, radiographic, and laser fluorescence (DIAGNOdent Pen) examination methods. After a 1 week interval, randomly selected patients were recalled. Each measurement was repeated by two examiners before the cases were selected for operative intervention to classify lesion depths. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS and Stata IC. The intra- and inter-examiner reliabilities and reproducibilities of the VE, RE, and LFE were calculated using Cohen's κ statistics. The sensitivities and specificities were plotted in receiver operating characteristic curves. The differences between LFE scores were analyzed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests (α=0.05). The VE method exhibited the highest sensitivity, accuracy, and κ values among the diagnostic groups in terms of inter-examiner agreement. With regard to the sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios for the two examiners, significant differences were found between sensitivity and specificity for examiner 1, whereas no statistically significant differences were noted between sensitivity and specificity for examiner 2 for the LFE scores. The DIAGNOdent pen is useful for the detection of dentinal caries of occlusal surfaces in permanent posterior teeth. Combination with other diagnostic conventional methods may enhance the reliability of this tool.

SOPROLIFE system: an accurate diagnostic enhancer.

Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate a light-emitting diode fluorescence tool, the SOPROLIFE light-induced fluorescence evaluator, and compare it to the international caries detection and assessment system-II (ICDAS-II) in the detection of occlusal caries. Methods. A total of 219 permanent posterior teeth in 21 subjects, with age ranging from 15 to 65 years, were examined. An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed to assess the reliability between the two diagnostic methods. Results. The results showed a high reliability between the two methods (ICC = 0.92; IC = 0.901–0.940; P < 0.001). The SOPROLIFE blue fluorescence mode had a high sensitivity (87%) and a high specificity (99%) when compared to ICDAS-II. Conclusion. Compared to the most used visual method in the diagnosis of occlusal caries lesions, the finding from this study suggests that SOPROLIFE can be used as a reproducible and reliable assessment tool. At a cut-off point, categorizing noncarious lesions and visual change in enamel, SOPROLIFE shows a high sensitivity and specificity. We can conclude that financially ICDAS is better than SOPROLIFE. However SOPROLIFE is easier for clinicians since it is a simple evaluation of images. Finally in terms of efficiency SOPROLIFE is not superior to ICDAS but tends to be equivalent with the same advantages.

Impact of low level magnification on incipient occlusal caries diagnosis and treatment decision making.

This in-vitro study aimed to test the accuracy and reproducibility in detection of incipient occlusal caries and treatment decision making using unenhanced visual-tactile technique and low level magnification by the use of loupes and surgical operating microscope (SOM). Sixty extracted human posterior teeth were assessed by two examiners using ICDAS- II index and CPI- TN probe, with and without magnification. Histopathology was used as gold standard for diagnosis of caries and treatment decision making. Inter and intra examiner reproducibility was determined using Kappa statistics. Intraobserver reproducibility for caries detection using surgical operating microscope ranged from average to good (0.4-0.63). Inter-examiner reproducibility values for treatment decision making using experimental techniques such as unaided (0.40), Loupes (0.51) & SOM (0.63) were similar.

Usefulness of AC-impedance spectroscopy technique in occlusal caries detection – own investigations

Exact caries detection and monitoring over time are important in modern clinical caries management. Especially the detection before cavitation occurs and the control of initial lesions are of significance because an accurate diagnosis can reduce the need for drilling and filling. Among many techniques, impedance spectroscopy technique is one of the proposed. The aim of the study was to determine dental caries clinically and characterize its bio-impedance to gain detailed information about the progression of the process. Human extracted permanent premolars and molars were used in this in-vitro experiment. The teeth were unrestored and undamaged, except of caries. Their occlusal surfaces were examined by dentists according to Universal Visual Scoring System and assessed with CarieScan PRO™. The statistical analysis of obtained results revealed that clinical examination and AC-impedance spectroscopy measurements showed differences in impedance depending on changes and stages in caries progress. Preliminary results from this research indicate that the device using AC-impedance spectroscopy may be a useful additional aid for caries diagnosis together with clinical examination.