Advances in the clinical application of imaging detection for caries

Dental caries detector is a kind of diagnostic tool specifically designed for dental professionals to detect and monitor the early occurrence and development of dental caries. They are widely used in the clinic because of their advantages of rapid detection, flexible applications, ease of carrying, intuitive detection results and lack of pain for the patient. However, due to the different types and principles of the instruments produced by various instrument manufacturers, the clinical application range, sensitivity and specificity of test results also show significant differences. In terms of the current clinical application effects, although the DIAGNOdent caries detector has the widest range of clinical use, the accuracy of its detection results needs to be improved because it is affected by factors such as pigments and dental materials. The Canary System caries detector can effectively avoid the interference of the above factors, but its classification of the degree of caries is not clear. The DIAGNOcam caries detector can effectively detect early caries, but it has low reliability for occlusal caries detection. The existing dental caries detectors on the market can be used only as clinical auxiliary tools, and the accuracy of the detection results and comprehensiveness of the detection range need further improvement. With the application of the new multispectral near-infrared scanning fiber endoscope (NIR-SFE) and high-frequency ultrasound imaging (HFUS) in the detection of dental caries, a more efficient and accurate diagnosis of dental caries is possible in the future. To this end, we still need to continue exploring new technology to help clinicians complete the early diagnosis and treatment of dental caries to improve the quality of life of their patients.