Interobserver variability in radiographic interpretation of pediatric dental diseases: a pilot study

Interobserver variability in radiographic interpretation of dental disease may be a result of clinical bias, education, training, experience or other factors, and may potentially lead to misdiagnosis of disease. Few studies have investigated variability related to dental specialty. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine interob-server variability in radiographic interpretation of pediatric dental diseases using a small number of observers, consisting of a pedodontist, an orthodontist and an oral radiologist. These specialists interpreted initial radiographic surveys of 200 pediatric patients (4.5 to 15.5 years old). The results showed no differences in interpretations of radiographic signs of dental abnormalities except for caries, abnormal primary root resorption due to the eruptive path of a permanent tooth and presence of a congenital/developmental tooth abnormality. These findings will be used to design future studies which will include a larger number of observers from different dental specialties.