Raman spectroscopy detects first signs of tooth decay

The Raman spectroscopy detect tooth decay earlier and with its low power and near-infrared (IR), it is more safely compared to commonly use x-rays. Recently, researchers discovered that both polarized and non-polarized Raman spectroscopy can identify healthy teeth and decay. The researchers took parallel and cross-polarized Raman spectra of tooth enamel in a single measurement. This technique was used in 20 human premolar teeth, and recorded the spectra of each tooth 10 times for 1s each time and averaged the signal. Among the 20 teeth, there were no false-negative and only one false positive therefore, the Raman technique had 98% specificity and 100% sensitivity.