• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2003

To evaluate the quantitative nature of laser fluorescence(LF) and dye-enhanced laser fluorescence(DELF) on early enamel caries, artificial caries were induced on the bovine enamels and argon laser was irradiated on the surfaces of lesions. Fluorescence radiance from enamel specimen was recorded with CCD camera which was connected to PC image analyzing system. The difference of fluorescence of radiance(DFR) between the carious and the sound enamel in each sample of the LF and the DELF groups were measured by image analyzing program. The DFR of lesion surfaces measured with laser fluorescence and lesion depths were evaluated and the results are as follows: The caries lesions were discriminated from sound enamels by the darkness with LF and by the brightness with DELF. The DELF was more sensitive than the LF at the earlier stage of demineralization.