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An accurate evaluation of the extent of dental caries and possible progress of the lesion from enamel into dentin is very important in clinical dentistry. Dentists need an imaging technology that can noninvasively and reliably quantify the extent of caries. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of non-polarized swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) in evaluating the extent of caries on smooth enamel surfaces.

One-hundred and twenty-seven investigation sites on the enamel surfaces of 93 extracted teeth were selected randomly and examined visually. The presence and extent of caries were scored by experienced and inexperienced dentists using each observation method (0: no caries; 1: enamel demineralization without surface breakdown; 2: enamel breakdown due to caries; 3: deep caries involving the dentin). The same locations were then examined using OCT …