Diagnostic Performance of an Intraoral Scanner for Caries Detection on Permanent Tooth Surfaces

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Technology

Background:

• Intraoral scanners with fluorescence technology (IOSFT) offer advanced caries detection capabilities.
• The diagnostic performance of IOSFT's caries detection feature requires thorough evaluation against established methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the diagnostic performance of the IOSFT Trios 4® caries detection tool.
• To compare IOSFT performance against visual and radiographic International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) criteria for permanent teeth.

Main Methods:

• 71 participants (age 6-88) underwent visual ICDAS examination, bitewing radiography, and IOSFT scanning.
• IOSFT automated caries detection (ACD) output was compared to ICDAS scores for occlusal, smooth, and proximal surfaces.
• Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated for each tooth surface type.

Main Results:

• IOSFT demonstrated moderate correlation (r=0.4) and higher accuracy (81%) for moderate/severe occlusal caries versus initial lesions (37.7%).
• For smooth surfaces, accuracy was 93.5% for moderate/severe and 77.1% for initial lesions.
• For proximal surfaces, accuracy was 83.5% for moderate/severe and 40.4% for initial lesions, with weak correlation (r=0.07).

Conclusions:

• IOSFT shows potential but is currently insufficient to replace visual and radiographic examinations for caries detection.
• The diagnostic accuracy of IOSFT is significantly better for moderate to advanced caries compared to initial lesions.
• Further advancements are needed for IOSFT to reliably detect early-stage dental caries.