Patent ID: 7862335

Claim:
A detection system for detecting and removing dental tartar, comprising: a probe configured so as to be displaced along a subgingival portion of a tooth; a light source that emits light at one or more wavelengths including at least one wavelength in the infrared range which (i) transmits through at least one of blood and water on a surface of the tooth in the subgingival portion thereof, and (ii) reflects from tartar disposed beneath said at least one of blood and water on the surface of the tooth in the subgingival portion thereof, and (iii) returns through said at least one of blood and water on the surface of the tooth in the subgingival portion thereof, said probe having a distal end configured to (i) deliver the light from said light source onto the surface of the tooth in the subgingival portion thereof and (ii) receive light reflected from the dental tartar which is disposed on the surface of the tooth in the subgingival portion thereof and beneath said at least one of water or blood during said reflection; a spectral reflectance light intensity detector and analyzer configured to (i) receive said reflected light from said probe, (ii) utilize spectral reflectance detection to detect and analyze the at least one wavelength in the infrared range of the light that is reflected from said dental tartar, and (iii) provide a detection signal to an operator of said probe when analysis of the reflected light falls within a first predetermined range of values that are characteristic of dental tartar reflectance properties; and ultrasonic tartar removal structure coupled to said probe and configured to remove dental tartar in the subgingival portion of the tooth that is detected by said spectral reflectance light intensity detector and analyzer.