Is Thermal Imaging a Helpful Tool in Diagnosis of Asymptomatic Odontogenic Infection Foci—A Pilot Study

Abstract

Since the identification of periapical lesions typically requires invasive testing that may adversely affect individuals suffering from concomitant disease, the diagnosis of apical periodontitis remains a challenge. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of infrared thermal imaging for the detection of asymptomatic odontogenic inflammatory response in patients with a high risk of systemic infections. The examinations were performed using the FLIR T1020 thermal camera. The acquired images were analyzed with a ThermaCAM TM Researcher Pro 2.8 SR-3. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Statistica 10 software. The Mann–Whitney U test was used for data that were not normally distributed or did not meet the assumption of homogeneity of variance, while normally distributed data were analyzed with the t-test. The mean temperature difference between the periapical regions of the suspect and contralateral teeth was found to be greatest at 30 s of mouth opening. This is a preliminary study conducted to evaluate the potential of infrared thermal imaging as a diagnostic tool for the identification and elimination of odontogenic infection foci. Thermography seems to facilitate the quantitative assessment of inflammation by displaying temperature differences between the affected and unaffected regions.