O-pH (caries detection system)

History

2022: Device showing on which teeth caries will appear

In early March 2022, a dental instrument developed there was presented at the University of Washington, which can measure the acidity created by bacteria in dental plaque, which leads to the emergence of caries.

The O-pH system is an optical device that emits LED light and measures the reaction of this light, fluorescence, with a chemical dye applied to the teeth. The O-pH then provides a digital indication of the pH or acidity, of the plaque covering the teeth. Knowing the acidity of plaque can tell dentists and patients which region of the tooth is most at risk of developing caries.

To test the device, the researchers recruited 30 patients aged 10 to 18 years, with an average age of 15 years. The researchers chose children for their study largely because enamel on children's teeth is much thinner than adults because early warning of acid erosion is even more important. The test is non-invasive. While the dye is applied to the teeth, there is a probe at the end of the cord that transmits and collects light. The collected light is returned to the central unit, which produces readings pH. The dental status of patients was read several times before and after rinsing with sugar and other changes in the condition, for example, before and after professional brushing.

There are many bacteria in dental plaque that produce acid when interacting with sugar in our food. It is this acid that causes corrosion of the tooth surface and, ultimately, caries. So if we can gather information about acid activity, we can get an idea of how bacteria grow in dental biofilm or dental plaque, said Manuja Sharma, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Washington.

The research team reported that one limitation was the inability to consistently measure the same location on each tooth at each test stage. To address this limitation, the researchers develop their device to a version that will create images for dentists that instantly show the exact location of increased acidity where the next carious cavity may occur.^[1]

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