Comparison of radiographic imaging quality/accuracy using photostimulable phosphor plates and metal oxide...

To compare thequality and accuracy of radiographic images obtained by dentistry students from a Chilean university using photostimulable phosphor plates (PSP) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) receptors.

An experimental study was carried out in which 31 dental students used PSP and CMOS receptors to acquire radiographic images with the aid of a phantom. The time required to generate a radiograph was recorded. Image quality included sharpness/definition and brightness/contrast analysis. Accuracy assessed placement error, angulation errors, and cone cutting. A three-point scale was used for each variable: 0 = undiagnosable, 1 = acceptable diagnosis with minor errors, and 2 = perfect diagnostic quality.

The required time to generate a radiograph was faster with PSP than with CMOS (1.43 ± 0.28 min and 1.52 ± 0.61 min, respectively). Image quality analysis revealed that PSP was superior in sharpness/definition and brightness/contrast, whereas no significant differences were observed compared to CMOS (p > 0.05). Moreover, no differences were noticed in technique accuracy regarding angulation errors and cone cutting (p > 0.05). However, placement errors with PSP had significantly higher average scores than CMOS (1.11 ± 0.77 and 0.67 ± 0.85, respectively; p < 0.01).

Dental students would benefit from being trained on both receptors to be able to adapt to a diversified workplace. Radiographic images obtained by dentistry students demonstrate that PSP and CMOS exhibit similar parameters regarding quality and accuracy, except in placement where PSP demonstrates greater accuracy.