FILM AND DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY FOR DETECTION OF SIMULATED ROOT RESORPTION CAVITIES

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate observers' abili ty to detect simulated root resorption cavities in conventional radiog raphs and digital radiographs from a charge-coupled device system and a storage phosphor system and to determine whether the detectability w as influenced by resorption size and exposure. Study design. In teeth from dry mandibular jaw specimens, resorptive defects 1.2 mm in diamet er and at two different depths (0.6 and 0.9 mm) were prepared in the b uccal root surface. Each tooth was radiographed at a number of differe nt exposure settings. Observers were asked to rate their confidence th at a resorption was or was not present using a five-graded confidence scale. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the results. Results and conclusion. Given optimal exposures, all sys tems reached what might be considered clinically acceptable A,values ( >0.75). The storage phosphor system reached this value at considerably lower exposures than those required for both the film and charge-coup led device systems. There was a tendency to better detect the deeper l esions and to identify them at lower exposures.