System for the detection of dental artefacts

A dental artefact detection system, comprising a probe adapted to be displaced along a tooth, a light source for illuminating with an incident light a region on the tooth at two wavelengths including one wavelength in the infrared range, a spectral reflectance light intensity detector and analyzer for collecting the light reflected thereat, and providing a signal to an operator of said probe when measurements on the reflected light in one or more predetermined ranges of wavelengths fall within any first predetermined range of values that are characteristic of a first dental artefact, or when said measurements do not fall within any second predetermined range of values that are characteristic of artefacts other than said first dental artefact, wherein said signal is an indicator located substantially at a position of the distal end of said probe and actuated by said analyzer to indicate to the operator the presence of said dental artefact.

A detection system for detecting dental decay comprising:

• a probe configured so as to be displaced along a portion of a tooth;
• a light source that emits light at one or more wavelengths including at least one wavelength in the infrared range which (i) transmits through at least one of blood and water on a surface of the tooth, and (ii) reflects from dental decay disposed beneath said at least one of blood and water on the surface of the tooth, and (iii) returns through said at least one of blood and water on the surface of the tooth, said probe having a distal end configured to (i) deliver the light from said light source onto the surface of the tooth and (ii) receive light reflected from the dental decay which is disposed on the surface of the tooth and beneath said at least one of water or blood during said reflection;
• a spectral reflectance light intensity detector and analyzer configured to (i) receive said reflected light from said probe, (ii) utilize spectral reflectance detection to detect and analyze the at least one wavelength in the infrared range of the light that is reflected from said dental decay, and (iii) provide a detection signal to an operator of said probe when analysis of the reflected light falls within a first predetermined range of values that are characteristic of dental decay reflectance properties.