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Biomedical subjects

Bennett T Amaechi

Publications and source records attributed to Bennett T Amaechi.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Caries status of children in eastern Trinidad, West Indies.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence, severity and caries burden among children residing in eastern Trinidad. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study comprising probability, stratified, and proportionate-to-size sampling. Seven hundred and eleven school children aged six, 12 and 15 years were examined between November 1999 and January 2000 by two calibrated dentists using World Health Organization (WHO) assessment criteria. RESULTS: Overall mean DMFT and dft scores were 1.29 +/- 2.3 and 1.78 +/- 3.1 while 30.4% were caries-free. At ages six, 12 and 15 years, mean DMFT scores were 0.08 +/- 0.38; 2.18 +/- 2.49; 2.66 +/- 3.0 while dft scores were 3.74 +/- 3.63; 0.14 +/- 2.65; 0. Significant Caries Indices (SiC) for permanent and primary teeth were 3.75 and 5.28. Children of parents/carers with university education had the lowest DMFT/dft scores (1.0 +/- 2.47/0.83 +/- 1.58), treatment need (23.8%), and comprised the highest proportion of caries-free (76.2%) population. The values for father/male carer were statistically significant (p < 0.005). All four first permanent molars were decayed in 8.76%. First permanent molars were most frequently decayed in 12-year-olds (55.4%) and 15-year-olds (50.0%). Untreated caries and first permanent molar decay among six-year-olds were 84% and 8.3% respectively. Tooth mortality was 0.978 and 0.964 in permanent and primary teeth. The Restorative Indices for permanent and primary teeth were 0.02134 and 0.0213. CONCLUSION: Based on WHO severity criteria for the respective ages, caries experience is low in Eastern Trinidad. The mean DMFT is much lower than recently reported country data for 12-year-olds. However, the incidence is increasing. The SiC suggests that a small proportion of the population accounts for most of the decayed teeth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Quantification of root caries using optical coherence tomography and microradiography: a correlational study.

PURPOSE: The use of transverse microradiography (TMR) to quantify the amount of mineral lost during demineralization of tooth tissue has long been established. In the present study, the use of an en-face Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology to detect and quantitatively monitor the mineral changes in root caries was investigated and correlated with TMR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used an OCT system, developed initially for retina imaging, and which can collect A-scans, B-scans (longitudinal images) and C-scans (en-face images) to quantitatively assess the development of root caries. The power to the sample was 250 microW, wavelength lambda = 850 nm and the optical source linewidth was 16 microm. RESULTS: Both the transversal and longitudinal images showed the caries lesion as volumes of reduced reflectivity. Quantitative analysis using the A-scan (reflectivity versus depth curve) showed that the tissue reflectivity decreased with increasing demineralization time. A linear correlation (r = 0.957) was observed between the mineral loss measured by TMR and the percentage reflectivity loss in demineralized tissue measured by OCT. CONCLUSION: We concluded that OCT could be used to detect incipient root caries, and that the reflectivity loss in root tissue during demineralization, measured by OCT, could be related to the amount of mineral lost during the demineralization.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2003

Correlation of quantitative light-induced fluorescence and optical coherence tomography applied for detection and quantification of early dental caries.

Fluorescence loss in enamel following demineralization has been correlated with the amount of mineral lost during the demineralization. The correlation between fluorescence loss measured by quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) and the reflectivity loss measured by a versatile en face optical coherence tomography (OCT) system was investigated in a demineralization process to produce artificial dental caries. We used an OCT system that can collect A-scans (reflectivity versus depth), B-scans (longitudinal images), and C-scans (en face images). The power to the sample was 250 microW, the wavelength lambda = 850 nm, and the depth resolution in air 16 microm. A-scans, which show the profile of the reflectivity versus the depth of penetration into the tooth tissue, were used for quantitative analysis of the reflectivity loss. The results have shown that both the fluorescence radiance and reflectivity of the enamel decrease with increasing de- mineralization time. A linear correlation was observed between the percentage of fluorescence loss measured by QLF and the percentage of reflectivity loss measured by OCT. It was concluded that the decrease in reflectivity of the enamel during demineralization, measured by OCT, could be related to the amount of mineral lost during the de- mineralization process.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2002

Quantitative light-induced fluorescence: a potential tool for general dental assessment.

Current dental diagnostic methods can detect caries but cannot quantify the mineral status of a lesion. Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) measures the percentage of fluorescence change of demineralized enamel with respect to surrounding sound enamel, and relates it directly to the amount of mineral lost during demineralization. Development of caries-like lesions and subsequent remineralization of the lesions were monitored by QLF. The results showed that the percentage of fluorescence change (Delta Q) increased linearly with the demineralization time and decreased with increased remineralization time. Stained teeth were whitened with a bleaching agent and the change in stain intensity (Delta E) was quantified using QLF. The results showed that Delta E decreased linearly as the tooth regained its natural color. Factors that might affect the use of QLF to detect and quantify caries were also examined. It was concluded that QLF could be used to detect and longitudinally monitor the progression or remineralization of incipient caries, however lesion detection may be limited by the presence of saliva or plaque and enhanced by staining. The change in shade of discolored teeth by whitening agents could be quantitatively measured by QLF.

Dental Caries↗
PubMed2002

Development of a quantitative method to monitor the effect of a tooth whitening agent.

This study demonstrated a quantitative method for assessing the effect of a tooth whitening agent. Forty human teeth were stained with a tea solution, and randomly assigned to two groups (A, B) of twenty teeth. The teeth were subsequently treated with either sodium hypochlorite (NaOCL) or deionized distilled water (DDW) by intermittent immersion (60 seconds on each occasion) in a 1:10 dilution of NaOCL (group A) or DDW (group B). Prior to whitening and following each immersion, the color of the teeth at the stained spot was measured using ShadeEye-Ex Dental Chroma Meter and quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF). ShadeEye-Ex instantly gave a numerical value for the stain intensity, chroma (C), which is the average of three measurements taken automatically by the machine. QLF gave a quantitative value for the stain, delta Q (% mm2), following analysis of the fluorescence image of the tooth. Immersion was stopped after four readings when one specimen, in group A, was observed to have regained its natural color. There was a good correlation between C and delta Q with either NaOCL (Pearson correlation coefficient (r) = 0.974; p < 0.05) or DDW (r = 0.978; p < 0.05). With NaOCL, an inverse relationship observed between stain measurements, C (Linear fit correlation (R) = -0.982; p < 0.05) or delta Q (R = -0.988; p < 0.05) and exposure time correlated to a linear fit, but not with DDW. ANOVA showed a significant difference between the means (n = 20) of the reading at the measurement intervals (0, 60, 120 and 180 seconds) for both C (p < 0.001) and delta Q (p < 0.001) with NaOCL but not with DDW. In conclusion, the study highlighted the potential of ShadeEye-Ex Dental Chroma Meter as a tool for the quantitative assessment of the gradual change in shade of discolored teeth by tooth whitening products.

Analysis of Variance↗