Imaging Insider: Radiation-free imaging system aids caries detection

Dear Imaging Insider,

Radiography is the gold standard for dental imaging, but is it always the best option? That question is the subject of this edition's Imaging Insider.

Researchers from Spain tested one up-and-coming imaging technology, called near-infrared light transillumination. The method is a photo-optical technology that could work in conjunction with x-ray for the detection and diagnosis of caries in posterior teeth. Find out how well it worked in our Insider Exclusive, a story you're receiving before the rest of the DrBicuspid.com membership.

In other imaging news, California this week became the first state in the U.S. to implement legislation to require that x-rays be acquired before patients can receive orthodontic treatments. The law goes into effect in January 2020 and is widely seen as targeting direct-to-consumer teeth alignment operations like SmileDirectClub.

In the realm of advanced imaging, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco this month discussed their technique for reducing radiation in cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans used during orthodontic treatment.

While we're on the subject of CBCT, researchers from Germany found that CBCT didn't perform as well as high-frequency ultrasound for imaging peri-implant bone.

The coming arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) is creating major buzz in healthcare, including dentistry. A U.K. study analyzed the use of AI software for identifying oral cancer, while we spoke with dental technology expert Dr. Martin Jablow at the recent American Dental Association meeting about AI's future in dentistry.

Get these stories and more in your Imaging Community.