Radiographic evaluation of apical periodontitis and endodontic treatment results: a computer approach

Chronic apical periodontitis is diagnosed primarily by radiography. Whereas subjective, chairside evaluations of radiographs have serious limitations as regards accuracy of endodontic diagnosis, digitalization of radiological data allows quantification of the information obtained. In clinical practice, digitalization may improve the diagnostic sensitivity and reduce the radiation dose; in clinical endodontic research, digitalization of radiographs provides a means of unbiased and quantitative assessment of apical periodontitis. Automated measurements of the radiographic density of the periapical area have been applied in a study of the effect of different endodontic sealers on the healing of apical periodontitis. Changes in radiographic density could be detected as early as 3 weeks after completion of endodontic treatment, and the computer-based analyses provided numeric values for the progression of the healing process in the periapical region.