A COMPARISON OF 6 INTRAORAL X-RAY-FILMS

Objectives. To compare objectively and subjectively national-brand den tal X-ray films with widely available and less costly brands. Methods. A range of dental films, including the recently released Kodak Ektasp eed Plus, was purchased from mail-order suppliers at the lowest publis hed price. Objective measurements (film speed, contrast, fog levels, c osts, physical characteristics) and subjective evaluations (ease of us e, film graininess, overall appearance) were made. Results. Private-la bel films were obtained at less cost than those of major vendors. Not all film speeds, sizes and wrapping materials were available from indi vidual manufacturers. Objective measures and subjective appraisals sho wed that Ektaspeed Plus was the fastest film and had good contrast wit h the clinically useful density ranges. Agfa Dentus was the next faste st film, but it had rather low contrast and was grainier than the othe r films. The non-proprietary brands were difficult to open with primar y glove barriers, making effective infection control practices arduous . All films were relatively stable over a 16-week period regardless of storage location. Conclusions. The major manufacturers offered more c hoices of film sizes and speeds than did private label suppliers. The films from the major manufacturers, although more expensive, were more conducive to effective infection control practices. Ektaspeed Plus ha d a performance comparable with or better than the other available fil ms. Based on this preliminary study, it is recommended that this new f ilm is considered as an alternative to D-speed films.