Intraoral Fiber Optic-Based Diagnostic For Periodontal Disease

The purpose of this initial study was to begin development of a new, objective diagnostic instrument that will allow simultaneous quantitation of multiple proteases within a single periodontal pocket using a chemical fiber optic sensor. This approach could potentially be adapted to use specific antibodies and chemiluminescence to detect and quantitate virtually any compound and compare concentrations of different compounds within the same periodontal pocket. The device could also be used to assay secretions in salivary ducts or from a variety of wounds. The applicability is, therefore, not solely limited to dentistry and the device would be important both for clinical diagnostics and as a research tool.