Dental calculus detection using the VistaCam

The VistaCam® intra‐oral camera system (Dürr Dental, Bietigheim‐Bissingen, Germany) is a fluorescence system using light emitting diodes that produce a 405‐nm violet light. This wavelength has potential application for detection of dental calculus based on red emissions from porphyrin molecules. This study assessed the digital scores obtained for both supragingival and subgingival calculus on 60 extracted teeth and compared these with lesions of dental caries. It has also examined the effect of saliva and blood on the fluorescence readings for dental calculus. VistaCam fluorescence scores for both supragingival (1.7–3.3) and subgingival calculus (1.3–2.4) were higher than those for sound root surfaces (0.9–1.1) and dental caries (0.9–2.2) (p < .05). The readings for calculus samples were not affected by the presence of saliva or blood. These results suggest that the use of violet light fluorescence could be a possible adjunct to clinical examination for deposits of dental calculus.