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Clinical and laboratory radiographic caries diagnosis. A study of the same teeth
1Department of Oral Radiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
Objective:
To compare the diagnostic accuracy of radiographs obtained both in vivo and in vitro of the same teeth for the detection of occlusal and approximal caries.
Methods:
Pre- and post-extraction radiographs were obtained of 130 teeth, mostly third molars. The two sets of radiographs were assessed by four independent observers using a five-level confidence scale. Caries was validated histologically after serial sectioning. A positive diagnosis was defined as caries present in dentine occlusally and in enamel or deeper approximally. The diagnostic accuracy was expressed by ROC curve areas.
Results:
For occlusal caries, the average ROC curve area was 0.767 in the in vivo and 0.826 in the in vitro radiographs. The corresponding areas for approximal caries were 0.707 and 0.735, respectively. The differences were not significant (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
The outcome of radiographic caries diagnosis in the clinic appeared comparable with that obtained in the laboratory.