Using lasers to spot troubled teethbeforecavities form, researchers hope to turn the dentist’s drill into a relic of the 20th century.

The technology, called “Raman spectroscopy” (RS), is not brand new. In fact, scientists in other fields have long been using it to distinguish between various chemicals, based on their unique molecular fingerprints.

But this is the first time RS has been used to identify teeth in the very earliest stages of decay, the British research team said.

“The technique we are working with can tell the difference between [healthy] enamel and decaying enamel, and so in the future, if this technology is further developed, a dentist could identify early decay using it,” explained study co-author Frances Downey, a graduate student with the Biomaterials, Biomimetics & Biophotonics Research Group operating out of the Dental Institute of King’s College London.

Laser Technology Spots Cavities Before They Start - washingtonpost.com.