This collection contains multiple data sets from the in vitro examination of 17 teeth to compare different optical imaging techniques for the detection of caries. The presented study provides an overview from basic research in the histopathological examination of thin sections to in vivo imaging of occlusal lesions. Using conventional and advanced polarized light microscopy, X-ray bitewing radiography and micro-computed tomography, as well as polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT), the data set bridges the gap towards non-invasive assessment methods for dental practice. All measurements were performed to support the interpretation and validation of PS-OCT imaging of dental caries based on the degree of polarization (DOP). Besides evaluating the DOP as a promising tool for detecting carious lesions, the data set offers additional information concerning the optical properties of dental hard tissues. 17 Teeth with suspected occlusal caries but without loss of surface integrity were included in the study. No ethical approval was necessary for this study. All teeth were kept in thymol solution at 7° Celsius to prevent the teeth from drying out. After embedding the teeth in light-curing resin (Technovit® 7200 VLC, Kulzer Technik GmbH, Hanau, Germany), thin sections were prepared using the thin-section technique by Donath with a thickness of approximately 80µm. Due to the step-wise imaging and embedding process, all optical imaging techniques can be presented in the same sectional plane. A spatial registration was performed using MATLAB® (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA) to enable displaying and analyzing the same slice plane for all imaging techniques.

This project is open access and publicly accessible.

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