DETECTION OF APPROXIMAL CARIES WITH A STORAGE PHOSPHOR SYSTEM - A COMPARISON OF ENHANCED DIGITAL IMAGES WITH DENTAL-X-RAY FILM

Objectives. To compare the accuracy of approximal caries detection usi ng enhanced and unenhanced storage phosphor images and dental X-ray fi lm. Methods. Fifty premolar/molar teeth were exposed simultaneously un der standardized conditions on storage phosphor (SP) image plates (Dig ora(R)) and Ektaspeed film, The image files were transferred to a diff erent platform for image processing. Using a five-paint confidence sca le, ten observers rated 95 approximal surfaces for caries in enamel an d dentin with three image modalities: enhanced and unenhanced SP image s and film. The observations were validated microscopically. Diagnosti c accuracy was measured as the area beneath the ROC curve (A(z)). Resu lts. Enhanced SP images had significantly higher A(z) values in both e namel (A(z) = 0.819) and dentin (A(z) = 0.845) than unenhanced images and film. No significant differences were found in either enamel or de ntin between unenhanced SP images (A(z) = 0.780 and A(z) = 0.789) and film (A(z) = 0.688 and A(z) = 0.793). Conclusion. Enhancement of stora ge phosphor images improved detection of approximal caries in this in vitro study compared with unenhanced images and Ektaspeed film. Copyri ght (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd for the IADMFR.