Experimental setup for the characterisation of secondary caries by impedance spectroscopy

The objective of this master's thesis was to lay the foundation for a method to detect secondary caries, in particular, with the help of impedance spectroscopy. At first, a broad literature research was conducted to analyse the ability of existing methods for caries diagnostic in detecting secondary caries. Results from the literature research suggest that a combination of optical coherence tomography and a photoacoustic detection scheme could be a promising candidate in secondary caries detection.
There was no literature data found on the suitability of impedance spectroscopy as a cost-effective alternative, so this possibility should be further investigated. To gather information regarding impedance properties of secondary caries, an impedance spectrometer should be developed and measurements on the human tooth carried out. The prototype was validated by measuring the impedance of test objects. Finally, the impedance spectre of secondary caries were inquired. The developed spectrometer can record dental impedances up to several 100 kΩ in the frequency range 1 - 100 kHz