How to improve digital dental radiograph reproducibility: an individualized technique

Today, the advantages of the use of digital dental radiography as a valid alternative to conventional techniques are well known. In clinical dental practice, it can be useful to realize intraoral dental x-rays that can be compared, even after some years. The use of a conventional XCP instrument with the "long cone" technique helps to limit image distortion, but the comparison is poor. Moreover, in digital radiography, obtaining almost identical images is essential to superimpose them with dedicated software. The aim of the present work was to obtain fully superimposable and reproducible intraoral digital images through the use of an individual resin positioner. The laboratory phases are all described to create a system that enables exact placement of the digital sensor SIDEXIS (Sirona, Germany) in the mouth of the patient. The authors present a case report where the described technique is applied in the orthodontic field to evaluate molar distalization with a fixed appliance.