• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.87-90
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• 2007

It's important that detect early caries of deciduous and permanent teeth to prevent dental caries and prevserve teeth, especially on proximal surface of deciduous teeth. The reason is that their prominent pulp horn lead to pulp treatment easily due to rapid caries progression. There are conventional exploring, visual inspection and radiographic exam for early caries detection. But, the standard method for diagnosing dental caries is subject and cavitation may be accelerated during exploring procedure. Caries can be diagnosed up to 40% mineral loss with radiograph. $DIFOTI^{(R)}$ (Digital Imaging Fiber-Optic TransIllumination) is diagnostic imaging system for early caries detection using fiber-optic illumination. It is possible that remineralize the tooth surface without tooth preparation and conserve the tooth structure by using $DIFOTI^{(R)}$.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2007

Through out the world dental caries seems to be decreased as it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis for dental caries. The traditional diagnostic method which is probing and x-ray taking has many limitations to diagnose the early caries, so there were recommendations for the needs of new equipments such as laser fluorescence(LF), digital imaging fiber-optic trans-illumination(DIFOTI), and quantitative light fluorescence (QLF) which were developed from various study results. Also confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM) and ultrasonics are used for research progression. This study is to evaluate whether it is possible to monitor accurately for remineralization amount of enamel surface early caries using DIFOTI or LF After inducing artificial caries to bovine teeth to 10 participants remineralization was enhanced by 0 ppm and 500 ppm fluoride mouth rinse solution for 3 weeks. Then they were cross sectioned and analyzed using gold standard of the lesion depth measured by CLSM. The following results were obtained: 1. The measured percentage of light intensity(luminosity ratio) by DIFOTI increased with remineralization period, and showed significant reverse correlation with lesion depth measured by CLSM (p<0.01). 2. The measurement of laser fluorescence increased with remineralization period, and showed significant correlation with lesion depth measured by CLSM (p<0.01). 3. To the result for CLSM, 500 ppm fluoride mouth rinse group showed rapid rate for decreased tendency of lesion depth than 0 ppm fluoride mouth rinse group. In conclusion DIFOTI system was used to measure accurately for the remineralization amount of early surface caries, it is a very useful equipment to detect precisely the changes for early enamel caries remineralization during treatments.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2006

The purpose of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of the newly developed Digital Imaging Fiber-Optic Trans-illumination (DIFOTI) system in detecting carious lesions in vivo as gold standard with confocal laser scanning microscopy and compared the efficacy of traditional radiography and DIFOTI system in vito as gold standard with confocal laser scanning microscopy, too. For the in vivo study, the subject pool consisted of 23 grammar school age patients just prior to entering the mixed dentition phase Each patient was given a DIFOTI examination of the anterior and posterior teeth. During $6{\sim}8$ months, the naturally expire primary teeth were collected and the efficacy of DIFOTI system was compared with confocal laser scanning microscopy. For in vitro study, 40 primary teeth were collected and decalcified by Carbopol decalcification solution for 1, 2, 4 and 8 days. Every experiment period, all teeth were DIFOTI examined and sectioned to take an image of confocal laser scanning microscopy Sensitivity and specificity were calculated from the result of DIFOTI examine and confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis. The results are as follows : 1. From the in vivo study, the sensitivity of DIFOTI examine was 0. 61 and specificity was 0.63. 2. From the in vivo study, the sensitivity of DIFOTI examine was 0.71 and specificity was 0.75.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.199-208
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• 2009

This study was performed to improve the conventional $DIFOTI^{TM}$ system(EOS Inc., USA) by developing the prototype of DIFOTI system which consists of light emitting diode(LED) and digital camera. The images of enamel surfaces treated under Carbopol 907 de-mineralizing solution were taken daily during 7 days of experimental periods by both DIFOTI systems. The results of comparative analyses of obtained images can be summarized as follows: 1. Trans-illumination indices of images taken from sample enamel surfaces were decreased with time in both systems. 2. The difference of intensity of luminance between sound and de-mineralized enamel surface in prototype DIFOTI system was shown to be relatively smaller than conventional $DIFOTI^{TM}$ system. The application of LED light source in prototype DIFOTI system could possibly reduce the amount of current consumption and that could ultimately lead us to the successful development of wireless model with battery. The innovative development of digital camera is undoubtedly expected to create much clearer image despite of wireless transfer. LED and digital camera can be combined into a smaller size but a very important task of improving image manager and analyzing program into a simpler and easier one to manipulate has to be solved.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.207-220
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• 2006

The newly developed equipments for the early detection of carious lesion are LFD (laser fluorescence device), Ultrasonic diagnostic system, CLSM(confocal laser scanning microscopy), QLF(quantitative light-induced fluorescence) and DIFOTI (digital imaging fiber-optic trans-illumination) system. In this study, DIFOTI system and LFD were used for the detection of early enamel caries. Twenty five primary teeth extracted from twenty one children at around the dentitional exchanging period were selected as samples. The results obtained from DIFOTI imaging and LFD measurement were compared with those of CLSM and comprehensive evaluations were made for the diagnostic capacity of each device. In vitro test, 40 sample teeth with their buccal & lingual surface formed by a window of $2{\times}3mm$ in diameter were immersed in artificial demineralizing solution for the period of 4, 8, 12 and 16 days. The results obtained from the experimental groups (DIFOTI, LFD) were compared to control group (CLSM) and we have reached to the following conclusions. 1. The sensitivity and specificity of DIFOTI system operated in oral environment was 88.2% and 76.9% respectively. 2. The sensitivity and specificity of LFD measured in oral environment was 76.5% and 69.2% respectively. 3, Regression analysis on the light transparent rate of DIFOTI showed its decrease according to the length of primary enamel decalcification performed in vitro(r=-0.96, p<0.05). 4. No statistically significant difference between LFT measurement and the length of in vitro decalcification was found in regression analysis (p>0.05). 5. The correlation coefficient of DIFOTI image transparent rate and the lesion depth of CLMS was -0.6988 (p<0.05), whereas no statistically significant difference was found for LFD measurement.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2010

This study was performed to compare the quality of image processing between the newly developed prototype using light emitting diode(LED) and the conventional $DIFOTI^{TM}$ system(EOS Inc., USA). To estimate the optimal light emitting power for the improved images, primary enamel surfaces treated under Carbopol 907 de-mineralizing solution were taken daily during 20 days of experimental periods by both DIFOTI systems. The results of comparative analyses on the images obtained from both systems with polarized image as gold standard can be summarized as follows: 1. Trans-illumination indices of images taken from primary enamel surfaces were decreased with time in both systems. 2. The differences of intensity of luminance between sound and de-mineralized enamel surface in prototype DIFOTI system was shown to be relatively smaller than conventional $DIFOTI^{TM}$ system. 3. From the comparative analysis of images from both DIFOTI system with polarized images as gold standard, the difference between sound and de-mineralized enamel surface of intensity of luminance of $DIFOTI^{TM}$ system was more correlated to polarized images than prototype of DIFOTI system. With the optimal LED emitting power, the control of aperture of digital camera is considered as the another key factor to improve the DIFOTI images. For the best image quality and analysis, the development of the improved image processing software is required.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.587-597
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• 2004

Over the past 20 years, great strides have been made in research regarding the mechanisms involved in the progression of carious lesions, but new equipment and research tools need to be developed to continue these advancements in caries research. Various methods have been applied to reduce the incidence of carious lesions, which have led to a significant decrease in the number of occlusal caries, but a concurrent increase in the proportion of proximal carious lesions. New diagnostic equipment has been developed to detect early stage carious lesions, and these have demonstrated excellent laboratory results and show promise in clinical applications. The research presented here examines the efficacy of the newly developed $DIFOTI^{TM}$ system in detecting proximal carious lesions compared to traditional intraoral exam and bitewing radiography, possible problems or deficiencies of using the system in clinic, possible improvements that can be made to the system, and the efficacy of detecting early, reversible carious lesions that can be remineralized by preventative fluoride applications. The subject pool consisted of 23 grammer school age patients just prior to entering the mixed dentition phase. Each patient was given a thorough oral examination, radiographic examination consisting of bitewing radiographs of the posterior teeth, and $DIFOTI^{TM}$ examination of the anterior and posterior teeth. Each examination was carried out two times by two examiners, and the data were statistically analyzed. The results are as follows: 1. The mean alpha value of reliability test of the visual oral examination was as follows; occlusal surface was 0.8470. mesial surface was 0.6430, distal surface was 0.5727. lingual surface was 0.2807 and distal surface was 0.2339. When the examination was limited to posterior teeth, the mean alpha value was as follows; occlusal surface was 0.8577, distal surface was 0.8211, lingual surface was 0.7728, buccal surface was 0.7152 and mesial surface was 0.6782. 2. The alpha value of reliability test of the radiographic analysis of carious lesions of the occlusal, mesial, and distal surfaces was 0.8500. 3. The alpha value of reliability test of the $DIFOTI^{TM}$ diagnostic analysis of carious lesions of the occlusal, buccal, lingual, mesial, and distal surfaces was determined to be 0.7917. 4. The $DIFOTI^{TM}$ diagnostic system was found to be the most accurate means of detecting occlusal, buccal, and lingual surface carious lesions (p<0.05), while mesial and distal proximal carious lesions were most accurately assessed using bitewing radiography (p<0.05).