Cavities are very visible signs of a dental problem, but there are warning signs to spot early on before the tiny holes start to appear. According to New Atlas, citing IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, a newly developed optical device is designed to detect vulnerable areas in teeth by detecting hot spots of high acidity in tartar deposits on teeth, where conditions are ripe for tooth decay.
lime deposits
Tartar can begin to deposit on the teeth as a result of eating a lot of sugar or starch and neglecting to clean it with the appropriate brush, and then bacteria begin to feed on sugar and starch and form the tartar layer, which is a transparent and sticky layer that hardens over time. As food continues to be eaten, the acids in the plaque on the teeth begin to eat away at the tooth enamel, erosion begins and cavities occur.
A clearer picture of the early stages
A team of researchers at the University of Washington sought to obtain a clearer picture of the early stages of the process of forming tartar deposits on the teeth, and examined the possibility of early intervention to protect them.
“Tooth tartar contains a lot of bacteria that produce acid when it reacts with sugar in food,” said Manuja Sharma, lead researcher on the study. “The acid erodes the surface of the teeth and eventually leads to cavities. So, if information regarding acid activity can be obtained, it can be possible to Get an idea of how bacteria grow in dental biofilms, or calculus.”
O-pH . Technology
To detect the acidic activity of the teeth, the researchers applied an FDA-approved chemical dye to the teeth, then shone an LED light through a purpose-built optical probe that reacts with the chemical dye, causing fluorescent reactions. Transferred to the central computer. The innovative technology has been named O-pH, which gives a digital measurement of the pH, or acidity levels, of the tartar layer on the teeth under examination.
The researchers hope that dentists will be able to use O-pH technology as part of routine care, in order to explore hot spots with high acidity to provide early care for teeth likely to have decay.
Patient Education
There are some kinks in the methods currently in use, said Eric Seibel, a study co-author, noting that larger studies are needed to show how the innovative diagnostic technology can be used in a clinical setting. But Seibel believes that the O-pH system provides the basis for non-invasive means of measuring the pH in dental plaque.
Sharma added, “We need more results to show how effective[the O-pH system]is in diagnosing, but it can certainly help to understand some [الأمور المتعلقة] Oral health quantitatively. It can also help educate patients regarding the effects of sugar on the chemistry of dental plaque, as when a patient becomes aware of what is happening they will always remember that they need to cut back on sugar and keep their teeth cleaned.”
