Patent ID: 8447083

Claim:
A method for forming an enhanced image of a tooth comprising: obtaining fluorescence image data having a distribution from the tooth by: directing first incident light toward the tooth, and sensing fluorescent emission from the tooth; obtaining reflectance image data having a distribution from the tooth by: directing second incident light toward the tooth, and sensing back-scattered reflectance light from the tooth; and combining each pixel in the fluorescence image data with its corresponding pixel in the reflectance image data by: subtracting an offset to the reflectance image data value to generate an offset reflectance image data value, wherein the offset approximates a difference in intensity between the fluorescence image data distribution and the reflectance image data distribution and computing an enhanced image data value according to a difference between the fluorescence image data value and the offset reflectance image data value, whereby the enhanced image is formed from a resulting pixel array of enhanced image data values, wherein the enhanced image of the tooth includes a contrast between a caries region and a normal region of the tooth.