Echoes of Pocket-Exploring Periodontal Peaks with Photoacoustic Imaging (PAI)

Abstract

Periodontal disease remains a significant public health concern, necessitating accurate and efficient diagnostic tools for timely intervention. Assessment of periodontal status with gold standard periodontal probe becomes unsophisticated because of its poor reproducibility and inter examiner bias. To overcome this limitation, PhotoAcoustic Imaging entered into the field as a boon. It utilises ultrasound frequency, optical fibre bundles integrated with transducer and cuttle fish ink as the contrast medium. It is highly reproducible with standard deviation of about 10%. Recently “HOCKEY-STICK STYLE TRANSDUCER” has been invented to image even the inaccessible posterior most regions. ’Implants-the smile sculptors’ can also be assessed with PAI in case of peri-implantitis where the manual probing is not appreciable. This article will enlighten its principle, highlighting its potential for assessing pocket depth, soft tissue and bone status, review on its current challenges and future directions.