Teeth are screened for periodontal disease using digitized images manipulated and annotated on a processor. A digitized radiographic image of a tooth shows locations of a bone boundary and a cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) of the tooth. The digitized radiographic image is marked on the processor with a location on the bone boundary and with a pair of CEJ points at opposite ends of the CEJ visible in the radiograph. A ratio between (a) a distance between the bone boundary location and the adjacent CEJ point as numerator and (b) a distance between the CEJ points as denominator is calculated on the processor and compared with a threshold ratio-value for a corresponding tooth from a database accessible by the processor. A calculated ratio-value which is greater than the database threshold ratio-value is indicative of periodontal disease in the tooth. The probability of the correct diagnostic decision is determined by the relative magnitude of the calculated ratio-value and the threshold ratio-value.

Provided are methods for collecting saliva from the oral cavity of a mammal comprising: placing a mouthpiece of a device comprising the mouthpiece in the oral cavity of a mammal, the mouthpiece comprising a chamber defined by front and rear inner walls and a base inner wall of the mouthpiece, each of the front and rear inner walls of the chamber comprising a plurality of openings, and a switch disposed in the mouthpiece; and the device further comprising a saliva collection reservoir, a fluid supply reservoir, a pump, and means for directing fluid through said device; activating the switch disposed in the mouthpiece to pump saliva from the oral cavity to the saliva collection reservoir for collection; deactivating the pumping of saliva to the saliva collection reservoir; and subsequently pumping fluid from the fluid supply reservoir to the mouthpiece for cleaning or treatment of the oral cavity.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a small-sized, low-cost medical optical imaging device capable of irradiating even a deep portion of a dental root canal. Provided is a medical optical imaging device (4) that is provided with an illumination unit (6) for emitting illumination light to a subject, an imaging section (7) for imaging the subject, and a controller (8) for controlling at least the imaging section (7). The imaging section (7) is provided with an imaging lens system (71) and an imaging element (72) for receiving an optical image created by the imaging lens system (71). When viewed from the subject side, the illumination unit (6) is disposed in front of the imaging lens system (71) and overlapping the imaging lens system (71).

Smart dental implant systems and methods for ambulatory dental care are provided. In some embodiments, the disclosed subject matter includes a crown, adapted to mimic a patient's anatomy and location of the smart dental implant system. The crown can include piezoelectric nanoparticles, disposed on a surface of the crown and adapted to generate electricity from a patient's oral motion. In some embodiments, the disclosed subject matter includes an abutment, coupled to the crown. The abutment can include an energy harvesting circuit, operationally coupled to the piezoelectric nanoparticles and adapted to harvest the electricity, and a micro LED array, operationally coupled to the energy harvesting circuit and adapted to photobiomodulate surrounding peri-implant soft tissue.

An artificial tooth manufacturing information generation method is provided. The artificial tooth manufacturing information generation method may include the steps of: photographing a target tooth to acquire a primary image; correcting the primary image to acquire a secondary image; selecting an area including the target tooth from the secondary image to extract a tertiary image; selecting a noise area caused by reflected light from the tertiary image and then correcting the noise area, to acquire a quaternary image; and generating artificial tooth manufacturing information by using a pixel value of the target tooth included in the quaternary image.

The present invention relates to an orthodontic height positioning gauge having bracket tabs to place a bracket, and lateral tabs configured to be placed along the occlusal surface of a lateral tooth. In such a position, the handle extends between the lateral jaw and the cheek, and the bracket located by the bracket tabs can be placed on the buccal surface of the tooth without hindrance due to the cheek.

The present invention relates to an orthodontic height positioning gauge having bracket tabs to place a bracket, and lateral tabs configured to be placed along the occlusal surface of a lateral tooth. In such a position, the handle extends between the lateral jaw and the cheek, and the bracket located by the bracket tabs can be placed on the buccal surface of the tooth without hindrance due to the cheek.

Disclosed is a 3D scanner for recording the 3D topography of an object, the 3D scanner including: a projector unit configured for projecting a structured beam of probe light onto the object; an imaging unit arranged to acquire 2D images of the object when the object is illuminated by the structured probe light beam; and an actuator unit arranged to control the position of the structured probe light beam at the object by rotating a movable portion of the projector unit around a pivoting axis, the actuator unit including a rotation motor including or arranged to drive a wheel, where the surface of the wheel operatively coupled to the movable portion of the projector unit has a radial distance from the axis of the rotation motor which changes with the rotation.

Disclosed is a 3D scanner for recording the 3D topography of an object, the 3D scanner including: a projector unit configured for projecting a structured beam of probe light onto the object; an imaging unit arranged to acquire 2D images of the object when the object is illuminated by the structured probe light beam; and an actuator unit arranged to control the position of the structured probe light beam at the object by rotating a movable portion of the projector unit around a pivoting axis, the actuator unit including a rotation motor including or arranged to drive a wheel, where the surface of the wheel operatively coupled to the movable portion of the projector unit has a radial distance from the axis of the rotation motor which changes with the rotation.

Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a dental measurement method comprising, for example, measuring an orientation of a dental measurement device which includes a user interface, and displaying information on said user interface based on said orientation.