Detection of tooth condition using reflectance images with red and green fluorescence

A method for imaging a tooth, the method executed at least in part by a computer, comprising:

• acquiring reflectance image data of the tooth;
• acquiring fluorescence image data from the tooth;
• aligning the acquired reflectance and fluorescence data for the tooth;
• identifying at least one feature vector from the acquired reflectance and fluorescence data and forming a composite image using the acquired reflectance and fluorescence image data and the identified feature vector;
• and
• displaying an operator interface that identifies a plurality of teeth of the patient and, for at least one of the identified teeth, allows operator selection of one or more of the reflectance image data, fluorescence image data, and composite image of the tooth for display, where generating the at least one feature vector comprises transforming the fluorescence image data from tristimulus to polar color data form or to hue-saturation-value color data form.

An intra-oral imaging apparatus, comprising:

• an intra-oral camera configured to acquire both reflectance and fluorescence images of a patient's teeth;
• a control logic processor in signal communication with the intra-oral camera and programmed with instructions to obtain and process the reflectance and fluorescence image data and to distinguish incipient caries from advanced and dentinal caries;
• and
• a display in signal communication with the control logic processor for displaying the acquired and processed images and identifying incipient, advanced, and dentinal caries for one or more of the teeth according to processing results, where the display further displays a likelihood mapping for infection of one or more of the teeth, wherein the processor distinguishes caries that does not extend through the tooth enamel from caries that extends through the tooth enamel according to the reflectance and fluorescence image data, where the display shows the types of acquired and processed images that can be displayed for one or more teeth.