We are currently developing an optically based system to determine the vitality of tooth pulp in intact teeth. The technology is based upon the detection of hemoglobin in tooth pulp. We have developed several in vivo fiber optic appliances to monitor intact teeth using a previously developed detector/amplifier system. The current system illuminates each tooth with white light and analyzes the transmitted light at several different wavelengths. We have also demonstrated the use of a pulsed LED system for direct illumination with the desired wavelengths. Future plans call for optimizing the instrumentation so that more in depth studies can be accomplished.
