Application of DIAGNOcam in the diagnosis of dental caries in patients with orthodontic treatment

Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances represent a higher risk group of tooth decay. In addition to the visual method, bitewing images represent a standard means for identifying lesions in dental practice. These methods have their limitations, and therefore more effective methods of caries detection are still being sought. With the development of new technologies, new diagnostic systems have appeared on the market, including the DIAGNOcam.

Aim
The aim of the study was to review the literature on the diagnosis of caries with the use of DIAGNOcam and to present the possibility of using this system in orthodontically treated patients.

Material and methods
We used the PubMed database to search articles on caries diagnostics with the use of DIAGNOcam.

Results
The first in vitro experiments and clinical trials show that the DIAGNOcam is effective in detecting caries. It is important to eliminate the problem of image overlap, and the possibility of examination during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances without removing the arch is also significant. The lack of ionizing radiation enables more frequent dental checks, which indicates that it can also be used in children and pregnant women.

Conclusions
The possibility of a complete replacement of radiographic images by DIAGNOcam may prove viable in the future, which would be a good alternative for orthodontic patients, largely represented by adolescents, for whom the reduction of ionizing radiation is extremely important. Currently, however, this technology is an important auxiliary method, significantly improving the accuracy of results obtained with the gold standard of caries diagnostics.