Three-dimensional oral scanning system with the extended clinical utility of optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging method that provide high-resolution tomographic images. Attempts to incorporate OCT in dental practice have been ongoing, but the relatively bulky systems have limited their clinical utility. In this study, we utilized a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) to optimize the size of these OCT scanners to be similar to commercial intra-oral scanner (IOS) products. The optical axis of the internal scanner is designed in a Z shape to maximize the beam size reflected by the MEMS mirrors. To prove its usefulness in practical dentistry, we imaged the teeth in the oral cavity by position. Imaged teeth by position in the oral cavity demonstrated that the developed system can image deep into the oral cavity without difficulty. As a next step, we imaged teeth with cervical abrasion in three dimensions (3D) and high resolution. We classified the teeth into two types based on how the cervix was worn, and the degree of wear was quantitatively analyzed by performing A-scan profiling. This study demonstrates that the developed dental OCT system is effective in actual dental clinical practice and can be utilized for a variety of dental conditions.