Optical Coherence Tomography in Dentistry : Scientific Developments to Clinical Applications

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a method to "see inside of things" without destroying them, has been applied to subjects ranging from materials science to medicine. This book focuses on the biomedical application of OCT in dentistry, covering topics from dental materials to clinical practice.

Since the introduction of the OCT method in ophthalmology in 1991, and then dentistry in 1998, developments in OCT methods, particularly in biomedical areas, have led to its dissemination worldwide. The chapters of this book cover the basics and recent global advances of OCT in dentistry, including an overview of the method and its use in cariology, restorative dentistry, dental materials, endodontics, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, prosthodontics, soft oral tissues and nanodentistry.

This book will be of interest to both newcomers in the field as well as those already working in OCT, either in research and/or the clinic. It will be of great use in courses on optical imaging applied to biomedical areas, particularly where it can provide real-life examples of the application of OCT.

Prof Anderson S. L. Gomes is a Professor of Physics at Universidade Federal of Pernambuco, Brazil, PhD in Physics from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (1986), post-doc from Brown University (1992). His research interests are in nonlinear optics, nanophotonics and biophotonics. He co-authored more than 300 scientific publications, is a Fellow of OPTICA, and Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Member of The World Academy of Science (TWAS) and the Brazilian Order of Scientific Merit.

Prof Denise Maria Zezell is a Fellow of OPTICA and Senior Researcher at Nuclear and Energy Research Institute IPEN-CNEN, Sao Paulo, Brazil. PhD in Physics from State University of Campinas in Lasers in Medicine (1991), post-doc from ICTP-Triste, Italy (1992). Her research interests are in biophotonics, tumor diagnosis via FTIR and lasers in Dentistry, area which she has pioneered in Brazil.

Dr. Cláudia C. B. O. Mota is a professor of Dentistry at Universidade de Pernambuco and Centro Universitário Tabosa de Almeida, DSc in Dentistry from Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (2014). Her research interests are focused on dental materials, imaging diagnostic and biophotonics.

Prof John Girkin is the professor of Biophysics and Durham University, UK. He is internationally recognised for his expertise in the development of optical instrumentation for the life sciences and the clinic. He has previously developed commercially successful instruments for ophthalmology and researches on the development of optical methods for use in dentistry including OCT.