Diagnostic Techniques in Dentistry

Early diagnosis of the caries lesion is important because the carious process can be modified by preventive treatment so that the lesion does not progress. If the caries can be diagnosed at an initial stage (e.g. white spot lesion) the balance can be tipped in favor of arrestment of the process by modifying diet improving plaque control and appropriate use of fluoride. Early detection and prompt treatment is the tenet of secondary prevention and it should be done whenever primary prevention is not totally effective Using non-invasive quantitative diagnostic methods it should be possible to detect lesions at an initial stage and subsequently monitor lesion changes over time during which preventive measures could be introduced.For this reason the search is on for more specific and sensitive tools using new technologies to help the practitioner diagnose initial canes lesions as precisely as possible.