“DenTiUS Plaque”, a tool based on image analysis techniques for controlling bacterial dental plaque, has been developed
The new software, developed by the team led by CiTIUS researcher María José Carreira and the “Oral Sciences Research Group” (OSRG), coordinated by Professor Inmaculada Tomás, “may represent an improvement in the clinical setting and in the methodological quality of research studies.”
In a usability test carried out by dentistry professionals, they acknowledged that the DenTiUS Plaque software could be a very useful tool for quantifying dental plaque levels. There are several traditional clinical indices that are commonly used, both in clinical practice and in research, to quantify dental plaque. “However, these indices have significant limitations. Since they are based on evaluations by visual examination, they are associated with high subjectivity and, as they are semi-quantitative determinations, they are highly imprecise,” they continue.
With regard to the biological consistency of the new indices derived from the image analysis performed by DenTiUS Plaque, the research staff, using a five-day in situ dental plaque growth model, assessed the validity of these indices by comparing the results with those obtained using a conventional clinical index. As for the degree of correlation between the conventional indices and the API (area per intensity) index of the DenTiUS Plaque software, days one, two and three of dental plaque build-up showed very high correlations between the two systems. However, on the days when there was little or excessive plaque accumulation, days zero and four respectively, the relationship between the two measurement methods was not optimal, highlighting the limitations of the conventional index and the advisability of applying the DenTiUS Plaque indices.
In a usability test carried out by dentistry professionals, they acknowledged that the DenTiUS Plaque software could be a very useful tool for quantifying dental plaque levels. There are several traditional clinical indices that are commonly used, both in clinical practice and in research, to quantify dental plaque. “However, these indices have significant limitations. Since they are based on evaluations by visual examination, they are associated with high subjectivity and, as they are semi-quantitative determinations, they are highly imprecise,” they continue.
With regard to the biological consistency of the new indices derived from the image analysis performed by DenTiUS Plaque, the research staff, using a five-day in situ dental plaque growth model, assessed the validity of these indices by comparing the results with those obtained using a conventional clinical index. As for the degree of correlation between the conventional indices and the API (area per intensity) index of the DenTiUS Plaque software, days one, two and three of dental plaque build-up showed very high correlations between the two systems. However, on the days when there was little or excessive plaque accumulation, days zero and four respectively, the relationship between the two measurement methods was not optimal, highlighting the limitations of the conventional index and the advisability of applying the DenTiUS Plaque indices.