Optical coherence tomography and confocal microscopy investigations of dental structures and restoration materials

Nowadays, optical tomographic techniques are of particular importance in the medical imaging field, because these techniques can provide non-invasive diagnostic images. The present study evaluates the potential of en-face optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a possible non-invasive high resolution imaging method in supplying the necessary information on the quality of dental hard tissues and defects of dental restorative materials.Teeth after several treatment methods are imaged in order to asses the material defects and micro-leakage of tooth-filling interface as well as to evaluate the quality of dental hard tissue. C-scan and B-scan OCT images as well as confocal images are acquired from a large range of samples. Cracks and voids in the dental structures as well as gaps between the dental interfaces and material defects are clearly exposed. The advantages of the OCT method consist in non-invasiveness and high resolution. © 2009 SPIE.