Evaluating caries lesions with polarized and depolarized light techniques

We present an advanced technique of polarized light microscopy (PLM) for the assessment of carious lesions, wherein the degree of polarization (DOP) is evaluated. Through modifications of a conventional PLM setup, images were generated by calculating the DOP from an image series of different linear polarization images acquired with a polarization camera. Demineralization is reliably displayed by the DOP in accordance with the common imaging methods. Evaluating the DOP by PLM allows the characterization of the different pathohistological zones of caries with a new quantitative approach.