Table 3.
Common natural and man-made fluorophores that may be met within clinical dentistry. “Overlapping” excitation—for example, that found in porphyrins as an original component of blood haemoglobin but also a by-product contaminant of dental plaque, calculus and caries, and also tooth discolourations. Source: Original graphics S. Parker. Data reproduced with thanks: Kim, A; Roy, M; Dadani, FN; Wilson, BC; Topographic mapping of subsurface fluorescent structures in tissue using multiwavelength excitation. J Biomed Opt. 2010, 15(6), 066026 [37].
| Fluorophore | Excitation nm | Fluorescence Peak | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tryptophan | 275 | 350 | Amino acid |
| Collagen | 335 | 390 | Connective Tissue (CT) |
| Elastin | 360 | 410 | CT |
| Keratin | 370 | 505 | Surface analysis |
| Porphyrins | 405, 630 | 590, 625, 635, 705 | Cell mitochondria/metallo-, copro-, proto-porphyrins |
| Healthy Enamel | 405 | 533 | |
| Caries | 405, 488, 655 | 580–700 | |
| Inorganic composites/GI | 655 | Fluorescence > 700 nm giving rise to false positives | |
| Calculus/plaque | 405, 630 | Fluorescence peaks assoc. with porphyrins giving rise to false positives | |