In vitro accuracy of ultra-low dose cone-beam CT for detection of proximal caries

This study aimed to assess the accuracy of ultra-low dose (ULD) cone-beam CT (CBCT) for detection of proximal caries.

This in vitro study evaluated 104 molar and premolar teeth. The teeth were mounted in dry skulls and underwent CBCT with 4 protocols of high-resolution (HR), normal (NORM), ULD-HR, and ULD-NORM; 78 CBCT images were scored by 3 observers for the presence and penetration depth of caries twice with a 2-week interval using a 5-point Likert scale. The teeth were then sectioned and observed under a stereomicroscope (gold standard). The 4 protocols were compared with each other and with the gold standard. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated and compared by the Chi-square test (alpha = .05).

The interobserver agreement ranged from 0.5233 to 0.6034 for ULD-NORM, 0.5380 to 0.6279 for NORM, 0.5856 to 0.6300 for ULD-HR, and 0.6614 to 0.7707 for HR images. The intra-observer agreement ranged from 0.6027 to 0.8812 for ULD-HR, 0.7083 to 0.7556 for HR, 0.6076 to 0.9452 for ULD-NORM, and 0.7012 to 0.9221 for NORM images. Comparison of AUC revealed no significant difference between NORM and ULD-NORM (P > .05), or HR and ULD-HR (P > .05). The highest AUC belonged to HR (0.8529) and the lowest to NORM (0.7774).

Considering the significant reduction in radiation dose in ULD CBCT and its acceptable diagnostic accuracy for detection of proximal caries, this protocol may be used for detection of proximal carious lesions and assessment of their depth.