[Evaluation of dental plaque by quantitative digital image analysis system]

Area of Science:

• Dental Imaging and Analysis
• Oral Hygiene Assessment
• Image Processing in Dentistry

Background:

• Accurate dental plaque assessment is crucial for oral health monitoring.
• Traditional plaque indices can be subjective and time-consuming.
• Digital image analysis offers a potential for objective and efficient plaque evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the maneuverability, practicability, and repeatability of dental plaque image analysis using software.
• To assess the influence of different plaque stains on image analysis results.
• To correlate image analysis findings with traditional dental plaque indices.

Main Methods:

• Thirty dental students underwent plaque staining and anterior teeth digital imaging.
• Image analysis was performed using Image Pro Plus 7.0 to calculate plaque indexes.
• Standardized filming and image acquisition protocols were followed.

Main Results:

• A high correlation (Spearman's rho = 0.776, P<0.01) was found between plaque stain area percentage and dental plaque index.
• Excellent inter-rater reliability was demonstrated for tooth and plaque area measurements (ICC > 0.930).
• Different plaque stains had minimal impact on tooth area measurements but significantly affected plaque area measurements (P<0.01).

Conclusions:

• Dental plaque image analysis using software is maneuverable, practical, and highly reproducible.
• The technique shows strong correlation with traditional plaque indices.
• The choice of plaque stain has a limited effect on image segmentation, suggesting a sensitive stain is preferable for analysis.