DT News - Canada - Canary offers caries diagnosis with no aerosol production, company says

Dental Tribune Canada

Sun. 14 June 2020

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TORONTO, Ontario, CANADA: As dental practices start to open up to treat patients during the COVID 19 pandemic, the various regulatory bodies have provided rules and guidelines for oral health care. The focus is on eliminating or reducing aerosols during dental procedures.

Dental X-rays have been identified as a procedure that creates aerosols due to increased saliva flow and possible coughing or gagging. A number of dental regulators have made recommendations or produced guidelines for use of radiographs with the following conditions:

“Dental Health Care Providers may use ‘extra‐oral dental radiographs, such as panoramic radiographs or cone beam CT, and are appropriate alternatives’ to intraoral dental radiographs during the outbreak of COVID‐19, as the latter can stimulate saliva secretion and coughing.”

According to a press release issued by The Canary System, there are major issues with this recommendation:

The head, thyroid, and brain are exposed to radiation.
Extra-oral films do not have the resolution or ability to accurately detect and measure caries.
Cone Beam CT Scans increase radiation exposure.

According to the press release, The Canary System does not use radiation and provides an accurate solution for detection and management of caries. A study published in May 2020 found that the Canary System is more accurate than Bitewing Radiographs and Cone Beam CT in detecting caries on the gingival floor beneath composite restorations in interproximal regions (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2019.09.006).

The sensitivity and specificity data (see the table) indicates that the Canary System could find 89 percent of the caries where the other devices found 40 percent of the lesions.

This study replicates findings from other studies by Dr. Amaechi’s group at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

One clinical trial found The Canary System detected 92 percent of proximal caries while bitewing radiographs found only 67 percent. The Canary System can also accurately locate cracks in teeth, which is a more common problem patients are facing during these stressful times, the company press release said.

The Canary System provides an accurate solution for the detection, measurement, monitoring and recording of changes in tooth structure, the company said.