A commercial digital micrometer has been modified mechanically and electronically to allow the measurement, in situ, of the thickness of dental plaque. The device detects initial contact between a moving probe and the plaque, and measures subsequent probe displacement through to the tooth surface. Instrument accuracy is +/- 5 micron over a displacement range of 0-5 mm, with 1 micron resolution. In practice, after a short 'learning' phase, reliable clinical results can be obtained.
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Main et al. (1984) studied this question.
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