Enhancing the detection of hidden occlusal caries lesions with OCT using high index liquids

In a previous study, we investigated the influence of several high refractive index fluids on the performance of polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). That study showed that these liquids can increase the effective imaging depth and lesion contrast. Other in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that OCT can be used to show whether occlusal lesions have penetrated to the dentinal-enamel junction (DEJ) and spread laterally under the enamel. The purpose of this study was to determine if high index fluids can enhance the ability of OCT to detect hidden occlusal lesions and show if these lesions have penetrated through the enamel into the underlying dentin. Ten extracted teeth with occlusal lesions were imaged using OCT after the application of water, glycerol, BABB (33% Benzyl Alcohol + 67% Benzyl Benzoate) and a Cargille Liquid (Cedar Grove, NJ) (hydrogenated terphenyl 1-bromo-naphthalene) with a refractive index of 1.61. The intensity of the reflectance from the underlying lesion area for each sample was compared with the reflectance of the sound tooth surface for each fluid. The use of high index fluids significantly (P< 0.0001) increased the reflectivity of subsurface occlusal lesions under the surrounding sound enamel.