CariVu is a dental device that uses near infrared transillumination technology to detect cavities and cracks on teeth and around dental restorations (fillings).

This instrument works by sending infrared light onto the tooth: the enamel can reflect this light while the carious lesions and cracks absorb the light. The result is an image where the healthy tooth appears bright and the lesions appear dark. We can therefore accurately identify areas of concern in the tooth without exposure to ionizing radiation.

An advantage of CariVu is that it is easy to use: since it is shaped like a pencil, it can be easily moved in the patient’s mouth and adjusted to the desired focal depth so that we can have a better visualization of the tooth. We can also capture this image and show to the patient on the computer the cracked and decayed areas of the tooth and explain more clearly, thanks to this visual tool, what the dentist is observing in his or her mouth.

At the Clinique dentaire Beaulieu, Lapointe et associés, we have been using CariVu, an innovative technology in the dental field, with utmost confidence for several years as an adjuvant to X-rays for the early detection of cavities and dental fissures in our patients.