Noninvasive Quantitative Evaluation of the Dentin Layer during Dental Procedures Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Figure 3

Real time OCT-based evaluations of the remaining dentin thickness (RDT) between the drilled cavity and the pulp chamber: (a) measurement of the safety limit of the RDT; (b) decrease of the dentin layer towards the critical value of its thickness (i.e., for which a fracture cannot be avoided); (c) image taken just before the fracture in the dentin is initialized; (d) communication between the drilled cavity and the dental pulp chamber demonstrated using the OCT investigation.

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