CarieScan PRO - Introduction

The product consists of a handpiece, (the CarieScan PRO), the CarieScan Sensor and an optional base station with a wireless connection, the CarieScan PLUS. The PRO uses a disposable sensor that resembles a small toothbrush. The sensor is held against the tooth to be examined and the detection process takes about four seconds to complete. The result is then displayed on the PRO and (if connected) the base station. The entire system is battery operated and complies with all required Medical Safety Standards.

The CarieScan PRO enables dentists to evaluate teeth using AC Impedance Spectroscopy (ACIST) by providing information about whether the tissue is healthy, in the early stages of decay or already significantly decayed. The device is currently configured to assess the occlusal (biting) surfaces and the free-smooth surfaces (those nearest to the cheek and tongue) of teeth.

The focus of most dental practices is still predominantly on reconstructive treatment, where cavities are filled as they occur. There remains a significant unmet clinical need for a reliable, simple and safe means of accurately detecting dental decay. Both visual inspection and X-rays have been shown to lack sensitivity and specificity and in the case of X-ray is limited by safety concerns and restrictions on in how frequently it can be used.

The CarieScan PRO has a number of advantages over other measuring/visualisation systems. The absence of X-rays has safety advantages and allows increased frequency of monitoring. Most importantly the accuracy of results sets CarieScan PRO apart from other diagnostic methods. CarieScan PRO is 92.5% accurate at detecting both sound and carious teeth, minimising false positive or false negative results.

The CarieScan PRO can measure the carious state of teeth early enough to initiate remedial (preventive) treatment. It enables earlier and more accurate detection of "early" caries lesions which are not clearly visible to the human eye. It also enables detection of the more extensive "hidden" lesions extending into dentine which can be missed by even the most careful examiner. Unlike competitors, the CarieScan PRO is not affected by optical factors such as staining or discoloration of the tooth. The CarieScan PRO provides a qualitative value based directly on the disease state, rather than the indirect optical properties of the tooth or surrogate markers such as bacterial breakdown products.

With the growing trend towards preventative dental care, CarieScan PRO provides practitioners with more opportunity to arrest or even reverse decay. Caries detection using CarieScan PRO is more comfortable for the patient, will correctly detect more lesions than will be found on radiographs and also minimises false positives. As a system using ACIST to detect decay, CarieScan PRO has none of the inherent risks associated with ionising radiation.