Fighting Cavities

A few years ago, Dr. George K. Stookey, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, thought he saw something promising in a technology under development in Amsterdam. Dutch researchers using a laser light-scattering technique appeared to be able to spot potential cavities in patients much earlier—possibly years earlier—than is possible in conventional dental exams, even when they include X-rays.

Even under the best of circumstances today, a cavity is already halfway through the tooth’s enamel by the time it is detected. The new technology, using a laser to provide an intense light source, measures reflectance that indicates very early cavity development—weak spots in tooth enamel that will develop into cavities if not treated.

Dr. Stookey, who is widely known in dental research circles and holds nearly 20 U.S. and foreign patents on advanced dental technologies, applied for and received a 21st Century Research and Technology Fund grant to explore and refine the Dutch technology, with the ultimate goal of making it widely available in dental practices. After testing and making modifications to both the hardware and software in the Dutch system, he realized that it represented a breakthrough in dental treatment, but needed additional funding for validation studies. He was able to use his existing 21st Century Fund award as leverage to gain an additional National Institutes of Health multi-million dollar grant, and also established a company, Therametric Technologies, Inc., to help pursue the research and development needed to bring the technology to market.

The story ends well for all future dental patients. Dr. Stookey has applied for a Small Business Innovative Research grant that will allow him to complete final modifications, conduct field testing and develop educational and training materials. Thanks to Dr. Stookey’s perseverance and early support from the 21st Century Fund, the new technology should be available to dental practices by the end of 2003.