Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) for diagnosis of enamel condition during various dental procedures

Abstract

Relevance. Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) is widely used to diagnose the enamel condition during various dental interventions and allows for quick, objective and noninvasive assessment of the patient's oral hygiene status and follow-up of enamel de- and remineralization level.
Materials and methods. The QLF technique used by the study increases the visual contrast between sound and diseased oral tissues when various (organic) substances in the mouth absorb light of a certain wavelength (different colours) and then re-emit the absorbed energy at a different wavelength. Filtration of illuminating light gives a fluorescent image or a QLF image. In a clinical setting, we used a QLF equipment set, namely, the Q-ray clinical software; Qraycam pro camera for full-arch imaging; Qraypen C intraoral camera; Qscan plus.
Results. QLF was an additional tool for a practising dentist or dental hygienist, which allowed for the detection of the pathological process at the earliest stage, assisting in the diagnosis of the dental enamel condition, the detection of plaque without disclosing agents and assessment of its exact amount, contributing to the identification of hidden foci of enamel demineralization and carious lesions, cracks, tartar and oral hygiene evaluation.
The analyzed data show the very high efficiency of the performed therapy with the 'R.O.C.S. medical 0+' remineralizing gel. The objective QLF data fully confirm the external elimination of white spots, and their almost complete disappearance is noted.
Conclusion. Quantitative light-induced fluorescence and its parameters are essential not only for understanding the effectiveness of the applied techniques for bleaching, microabrasion, remineralization and other manipulations but also for their safety for dental enamel.