Occlusal caries depth measurements obtained by five different imaging modalities.

Area of Science:

• Dental Radiology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Cariology

Background:

• Accurate assessment of occlusal caries depth is crucial for effective dental treatment planning.
• Traditional imaging modalities may have limitations in precisely quantifying the depth of occlusal carious lesions.
• Evaluating novel imaging techniques is essential for improving diagnostic accuracy in dentistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy and reproducibility of occlusal caries depth measurements using various imaging modalities.
• To determine the optimal imaging method for ex vivo assessment of occlusal caries depth.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one human mandibular molars with occlusal caries were imaged using film, CCD, two cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) units, and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT).
• Teeth were subsequently sectioned, and the deepest lesion was scanned using a high-resolution scanner for histological comparison.
• Three oral radiologists independently measured lesion depths, with intra- and inter-rater reliability assessed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs).

Main Results:

• Micro-CT demonstrated the highest accuracy for ex vivo measurement of occlusal caries depth.
• Both CBCT units performed comparably and superiorly to intra-oral film and CCD imaging.
• Histology and micro-CT yielded the highest intra-observer reliability, followed by CBCT, outperforming intra-oral methods.

Conclusions:

• Micro-computed tomography is the superior imaging method for ex vivo quantification of occlusal caries depth.
• Cone-beam computed tomography offers a reliable alternative, outperforming conventional intra-oral imaging techniques.
• These findings support the use of advanced imaging for more precise dental caries assessment.