Thermographic images for screening oral health problems in older adults: A pilot study
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This pilot study assessed the feasibility of using facial thermography to detect intra-oral problems in older adults with cognitive decline and care-resistant behaviors, who are often unable to communicate pain or early symptoms. METHODS: Twenty-three older adults (mean age 73.7 ± 13.2 years) with cognitive decline were enrolled. Thermal images of four facial views were taken using a smartphone-connected thermal camera. Intra-oral examinations were conducted, and the thermographic data were analyzed to extract temperature values in the regions of interest (ROI). Point-biserial correlations and ROC curve analyses were performed to evaluate associations between temperature data and clinical findings, with a significance level of p < 0.05. RESULTS: =-0.327, p = 0.002 and rpb=-0.309, p = 0.003). ROC analysis indicated that ROI temperature could predict the presence or absence of clinical problems, with AUC values ranging from 0.651 to 0.796 for different metrics. CONCLUSION: Thermographic facial imaging shows significant potential as a non-invasive tool for detecting oral health problems in vulnerable older adults. While promising, further research is essential to enhance image quality, streamline the technique, and incorporate AI for improved diagnostic accuracy and ease of use. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This non-invasive, inexpensive technique is easy to perform, independent of patient compliance and, is promising to detect early oral problems in noncommunicative patients.
Source: Journal of Dentistry
Institution: University of Zurich
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,040
OpenAlex ID: W4405010089