A team of researchers from the American Chemical Society has developed a small, non-invasive ultrasonic device that can image teeth and gums in high definition, even in hard-to-reach areas at the back of the mouth, such as molars and premolars.
Designed in the form of a toothbrush, the device, published in the journal ACS Sensors, offers a gentler and more convenient solution for screening for gum disease.
Smaller ultrasonic transducers, about half the size of conventional devices, have been available on the market, but their imaging resolution is limited by their ability to generate and detect only low-frequency signals.
To overcome this bottleneck, the research team designed a new toothbrush-shaped transducer with a higher operating frequency, which can produce clearer and more detailed images of teeth and gums.
In the validation phase, the researchers used the device to measure the gum thickness and height of pig teeth and compared the results with those of a traditional manual metal periodontal probe.
The data showed that the data obtained by the ultrasonic device were statistically highly consistent with the manual measurements, proving the reliability of the device as a minimally invasive gum health monitoring tool.
“We are committed to developing a tool suitable for clinical applications that is small, accurate and easy to use,” said project leader Jesse Jokerst.
In the future, the team plans to use the device to image the area below the patient’s gum line, monitor the treatment effect in real time, achieve early diagnosis, help relieve toothache, and maintain the patient’s oral health and smile.