Methods:Five recently extracted human molar teeth with occlusal dentine caries, were longitudinally sectioned to expose their carious lesion. Each lesion sectioned surface was mapped in both white light reflection and 488nm laser confocal (auto)fluorescence imaging modes using a verified autofluorescence detection technique, all being recorded with an EM-CCD camera. These captured fields were digitally stiched together, mapping each lesion surface in its entirety. Reference marks allowed image co-localisation. The same lesion surfaces were then mapped for autofluorescence by the laser confocal fibre optic probe (Cell-Vizio, MKT, France). Fibre optic mapping was achieved by fixing each sectioned tooth surface beneath and sampling through a perspex grid of 5x10 close fitting probe guides, ensuring repeatable confocal surface sampling. A digital picture was taken of this assembly so as to co-localise the probe guide holes against previous reflection and autofluorescence surface images.
Results: When superimposed, the collages of the surfaces as mapped by each method could easily be co-localised using the reference marks. For all samples the autofluorescence imaging map corresponded directly with the auto-fluorescence positive signal sites from the confocal endoscopic sampling grid map. Both lesion maps corresponded accurately to their respective reflection mode images.
Conclusion: The confocal fibre optic imaging probe has been validated as recording dentine decay autofluorescence accurately in human samples. This may offer a potential route for transfer of autofluorescent diagnostics from the laboratory, into the clinic.