Quantification of dental plaque in oral cavity was enabled by a novel algorithm of image processing

Publication date: Available online 6 July 2017
Source:Journal of Oral Biosciences
Author(s): Naho Sueishi, Tomoko Ohshima, Takashi Oikawa, Hiroshi Takemura, Mai Kasai, Nobuko Maeda, Yoshiki Nakamura
ObjectivesQuantitative analysis of the biofilm has been critical for pathogenicity of oral diseases such as caries and periodontal disease. Currently, the plaque control record (PCR) is used most frequently to evaluate the presence of plaque on teeth, but no quantification methods exist so far. The aim of this study was to establish a method to quantify plaque adhesion on teeth.MethodsA novel algorithm and executing program was developed to calculate the staining volume of biofilm on plastic disks or extracted teeth inoculated by Streptococcus mutans from photographic image data. The biofilm's volume on plastic disks was determined using a confocal microscope, and correlations between image analysis data were analyzed. Subsequently, the amount of plaque in the oral cavity was clinically evaluated using this algorithm.ResultsA strong correlation was observed between the biofilm's volume and the image analysis data. Similar results were also obtained with the biofilm model using extracted teeth. Clinically, it was revealed that an assessment of the amount of plaque adhesion for every tooth was possible, which could not be determined by PCR in the oral cavity.ConclusionsWe successfully developed a novel method, designated "plaque volume ratio," to quantify the plaque accurately from photographic image data. Our findings indicated that this method may be useful for the evaluation of the amount of plaque on the surfaces of not only teeth but also dental materials in the oral cavity.



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