This dataset contains the X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) volumes of the examined teeth as a 3D reference for all subsequent examinations. The µCT volumes were acquired on the intact, non-embedded teeth using a µCT specimen scanner (SCANCO vivaCT 40, SCANCO Medical AG, Brüttisellen, Switzerland) at the Bone Lab Dresden. All µCT scans were recorded with the following parameters: voltage: 70 kV, exposure time: 0.35 s, current: 0.114 mAs. The voxel size is 10.5 µm x 10.5 µm x 10.5 µm.

This dataset contains the images of 24 selected thin sections examined with polarized light microscopy. The thin sections were examined with a Leica DMRB polarizing microscope (Leica Microsystems GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) using a magnification of 2.5 times. The photographs during examination were acquired with a digital camera (sony α7, Sony, Tokyo, Japan) using the following settings: exposure time of 1/160 s, ISO sensitivity of 125. Three photographs are available for each thin section. The first photograph shows the examination using conventional polarized light microscopy with the polarizer and analyzer rotated at 90° to each other (cross-polarized PLM, or PLMc). The second photograph displays the thin section using polarized light microscopy as in PLMc with an additional λ-plate prior to the analyzer (red-plate PLM, or PLMr). The third photograph shows the examination with transmission light microscopy without the analyzer being used (bright-field microscopy, or PLMb). The order of the images in the folders is always the same: PLMc, PLMr, PLMb, where for each photo always a processed .JPG file and the raw data as acquired .ARW file is available. The pixel size in each image is 2.28 µm x 2.28 µm.

This dataset contains the raw sequences and images of 24 selected thin sections cut from 17 tooth samples, which were examined with advanced polarized light microscopy. Using a polarization camera with a 2x2 pattern of polarizers on the sensor and varying linearly polarized illumination states, depolarized light microscopy images were created by evaluating the degree of polarization (DOP) within thin sections. To generate the data, the thin sections were examined using a modified Leica DMRB microscope (Leica Microsystems GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) with the complementary implementation of a FLIR polarization camera (FLIR Integrated Imaging Solutions Inc., Ludwigsburg, Germany). The pixel size of the processed images is 3.93 µm x 3.93 µm. Since multiple areas of interests were examined for several thin sections, 29 data sets are available. For each data set, the sequence of raw images of the polarization camera as well as processed DLM images including representations of the DOP and of the intensity are available. Note, that the DLM images must be flipped horizontally compared to the conventional polarized light microscopy images acquired with the same microscope.

This dataset contains the images of conventional diagnostic methods for occlusal caries of the 17 teeth examined. For each tooth sample, one photograph (.JPG file) of the occlusal surface is available representative for visual inspection. The photographs during examination were acquired with a digital camera (sony α6600, Sony, Tokyo, Japan) using two different settings: exposure time in the range of 1/50 - 1/100 seconds and ISO sensitivity in the range of 800 - 1600. The settings are specified in the embedded meta information of the corresponding image files. Supplementary, all occlusal surfaces were graded according to ICDAS II (International Caries Detection and Assessment System) criteria during visual inspection. The score is provided in the file description for each tooth. In addition to that, one bitewing X-ray image (.tif file) is provided representative for conventional radiological diagnostics in clinical day-to-day practice. All radiographs were acquired using the following X-ray parameters: peak voltage: 60 kV, exposure time: 0.04 s, current: 7 mAs.