QDT introduces The Canary System caries detection device

New Canary System caries detection system finds carious lesions before conventional methods.

Quantum Dental Technologies (QDT), Canadian diagnostic device company, introduced The Canary System to during the 2013 Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting.

The Canary System offers breakthrough technology for evidence-based detection and monitoring of dental caries without the need for dental x-rays.

The system uses “Energy Conversion Technology,” a combination of Photothermal Radiometry and Luminescence Technology (PTR-LUM), to identify and measure tooth decay. This technology is directly linked to the status of the tooth’s crystal structure and not bacterial porphyrins.

The system’s handheld laser emits a low-power, pulsating light to collect unique signatures of luminescence and heat released from the tooth. This laser light interacts differently with healthy enamel than with decayed enamel, providing the dentist with a tool to identify carious lesions as deep as 5mm below the tooth surface and as small as 50 microns in size.

“The Canary System is the only caries detection device linked to the crystal structure of the tooth instead of the presence of bacteria,” says Dr. Stephen Abrams, president and co-founder of QDT, “and is the only device that can detect decay on all tooth surfaces, including interproximal areas and around the margins of restorations or fillings. The Canary System detects and monitors caries across the entire spectrum of the disease process so it becomes an integral part of the preventive and restorative aspects of oral health care.”

The Canary System is noninvasive and helps preserve the integrity of the tooth and the entire dentition. It can detect caries in a number of clinical situations, including smooth enamel surfaces, root surfaces, occlusal surfaces, interproximal regions, around existing amalgam or composite fillings, and beneath dental sealants.

“We need to shift from a surgical approach to disease management and prevention. If decay is identified, dentists can also place a restoration earlier than otherwise would have been found using conventional approaches, thus preventing more serious complications,” added Abrams.

The system’s interactive software provides patient reports that clearly define which teeth need special attention, which are healthy, and which have caries. The reports also provide dentist recommendations and instructions for treatment so patients can better manage their oral health. 

“Utilizing this device offers patients a wellness approach to dentistry and provides earlier access to preventative care.”