{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T11:27:44Z","timestamp":1785238064439,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,20]],"date-time":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1740009600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)","award":["RS-2022-NR074302"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2022-NR074302"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dentistry Journal"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the analytical validity of micro-computed tomography (\u00b5CT) and compare it with quantitative light-induced fluorescence digital (QLFD) for assessing early dental caries (EDC) lesion depth (LD). This study was conducted in a destructive in vitro setting. Methods: EDC lesions were artificially induced in 28 bovine tooth specimens for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 days, respectively. The lesions were analyzed using \u00b5CT and QLFD, with grayscale intensity thresholds set at 90% and 95%. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between lesion depths measured using micro-computed tomography (LD\u00b5CT) and quantitative light-induced fluorescence digital (LDQLFD) across different demineralization periods. Additionally, a Bland\u2013Altman analysis was conducted to assess agreement between the two methods and identify systematic differences and potential bias. A regression analysis was further conducted with LDQLFD as the independent variable and LD\u00b5CT as the dependent variable. Results: LD\u00b5CT was consistently lower than LDQLFD across all demineralization periods. The Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between LD\u00b5CT and LDQLFD (r = 0.898\u20130.977, p &lt; 0.001). The Bland\u2013Altman analysis demonstrated a high level of agreement, with most data points falling within the 95% limit of agreement. Furthermore, the regression analysis suggested that QLFD may serve as a reliable complementary tool for lesion depth assessment. Conclusions: Although \u00b5CT and QLFD operate based on different principles, the findings of this study, along with the cost-effectiveness and ease of use of QLFD, suggest that QLFD may serve as a complementary tool to \u00b5CT in experimental research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dj13030090","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,20]],"date-time":"2025-02-20T04:53:39Z","timestamp":1740027219000},"page":"90","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Validation of Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence Digital Analysis for Assessing Early Dental Caries Depth: A Micro-Computed Tomography-Based In Vitro Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5177-7600","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ji-Hyun","family":"Min","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Hygiene, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Cheongju University, 298 Daesung-ro, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju 28503, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1159\/000260296","article-title":"Remineralization phenomena","volume":"11","author":"Silverstone","year":"1977","journal-title":"Caries Res."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"704","DOI":"10.1016\/j.archoralbio.2014.04.005","article-title":"Comparison of knoop and vickers surface microhardness and transverse microradiography for the study of early caries lesion formation in human and bovine enamel","volume":"59","author":"Lippert","year":"2014","journal-title":"Arch. Oral Biol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"502","DOI":"10.1159\/000539406","article-title":"Enamel caries lesion depth obtained by optical coherence tomography and transverse microradiography: A comparative study","volume":"58","author":"Braga","year":"2024","journal-title":"Caries Res."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"586","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034512444127","article-title":"Enamel lesion parameter correlations between polychromatic micro-CT and TMR","volume":"91","author":"Hamba","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Dent. Res."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Abdelaziz, M. (2023). Detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of early caries: The future of individualized dental care. Diagnostics, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics13243649"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gomez, J. (2015). Detection and diagnosis of the early caries lesion. BMC Oral Health, 15.","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-6831-15-S1-S3"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.17135\/jdhs.2016.16.4.257","article-title":"Assessment of early dental caries by using optical coherence tomography","volume":"16","author":"Min","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Dent. Hyg. Sci."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Orsini, G., Orilisi, G., Notarstefano, V., Monterubbianesi, R., Vitiello, F., Tosco, V., Belloni, A., Putignano, A., and Giorgini, E. (2021). Vibrational Imaging Techniques for the Characterization of Hard Dental Tissues: From Bench-Top to Chair-Side. Appl. Sci., 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/app112411953"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1117\/1.1427044","article-title":"Quantitative light-induced fluorescence: A potential tool for general dental assessment","volume":"7","author":"Amaechi","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Biomed. Opt."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ando, M., Ferreira-Zandon\u00e1, A.G., Eckert, G.J., Zero, D.T., and Stookey, G.K. (2017). Pilot clinical study to assess caries lesion activity using quantitative light-induced fluorescence during dehydration. J. Biomed. Opt., 22.","DOI":"10.1117\/1.JBO.22.3.035005"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Oh, S.H., Lee, S.R., Choi, J.Y., Choi, Y.S., Kim, S.H., Yoon, H.C., and Nelson, G. (2021). Detection of dental caries and cracks with quantitative light-induced fluorescence in comparison to radiographic and visual examination: A retrospective case study. Sensors, 21.","DOI":"10.3390\/s21051741"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"298","DOI":"10.1038\/sj\/dmfr\/4600644","article-title":"Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF): A method for assessment of incipient caries lesions","volume":"30","year":"2001","journal-title":"Dentomaxillofac. Radiol."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"(2025, January 10). PubMed, Available online: https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/?term=Quantitative+Light-+induced+Fluorescence."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105220","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jdent.2024.105220","article-title":"The use of quantitative light-induced fluorescence in carious lesions research: A bibliometric review","volume":"148","author":"Chapple","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Dent."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"228","DOI":"10.1159\/000261026","article-title":"Use of synthetic polymer gels for artificial carious lesion preparation","volume":"21","author":"White","year":"1987","journal-title":"Caries Res."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"720","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jdent.2015.03.006","article-title":"Evaluation of penetration effect of resin infiltrant using optical coherence tomography","volume":"43","author":"Min","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Dent."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.4012\/dmj.2011-228","article-title":"An approach to normalizing micro-CT depth profiles of mineral density for monitoring enamel remineralization progress","volume":"31","author":"Nakata","year":"2012","journal-title":"Dent. Mater. J."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1016\/S0003-9969(98)00123-X","article-title":"Correlation of transversal microradiography and microhardness on in situ-induced demineralization in irradiated and nonirradiated human dental enamel","volume":"44","author":"Kielbassa","year":"1999","journal-title":"Arch. Oral Biol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.5933\/JKAPD.2015.42.3.218","article-title":"Diagnosis of early dental caries with dye-enhancing quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF)","volume":"42","author":"Kim","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Korean Acad. Pediatr. Dent."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116","DOI":"10.17135\/jdhs.2017.17.2.116","article-title":"Evaluation of detection ability of a quantitative light-induced fluorescence digital device for initial secondary caries lesion","volume":"17","author":"Kim","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Dent. Hyg. Sci."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.5933\/JKAPD.2022.49.1.65","article-title":"Assessment of the caries detection ability of quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) in primary teeth in vitro","volume":"49","author":"Cho","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Korean Acad. Pediatr. Dent."}],"container-title":["Dentistry Journal"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-6767\/13\/3\/90\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T16:38:25Z","timestamp":1760027905000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-6767\/13\/3\/90"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,20]]},"references-count":21,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3]]}},"alternative-id":["dj13030090"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/dj13030090","relation":{},"ISSN":["2304-6767"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2304-6767","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,20]]}}}