Researchers from the American Dental Association's Science and Research Institute have developed a dental probe that can detect signs of gum disease.
The probe can lead to earlier diagnoses by measuring changes in temperature, pH and depth of periodontal pockets associated with gum disease, the ADA said in an April 6 news release.
The 3D-printed probe tips are disposable and can be attached to a reusable handheld body capable of signal processing, power control, display and wireless data transfer.
The ADA said one limitation of the probe is that the environment of the mouth can be affected by several factors, including food intake, time of day, smoking habits, tooth location, gender and other dental conditions. However, the probing system is designed to record data over time, so changes in patients' baseline values could be tracked despite these factors.