PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different spatial resolutions of a photostimulable phosphor plate (PSP) radiography system on the detection of proximal caries lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five extracted human permanent teeth were radiographed using a PSP system (VistaScan Perio Plus) and scanned at the 4 resolutions (10 lp/mm, 20 lp/mm, 25 lp/mm, and 40 lp/mm) available in the system. Three independent examiners scored the images for the presence and absence of proximal caries lesions using a 5-point scale. The presence or absence of caries was confirmed by histological sections of the examined teeth (defined as the gold standard). Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility was calculated by the weighted kappa test. One-way analysis of variance with the post hoc Tukey test was used to compare the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the classifications made with each resolution. RESULTS: For the detection of enamel lesions, the spatial resolution of 10 lp/mm was significantly superior to the other resolutions. However, the spatial resolution did not affect the detection of caries lesions in dentin (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Spatial resolution may influence the accuracy of the detection of incipient caries lesions in radiographs with PSP plates. Images with low spatial resolution seem to be more appropriate for this purpose.
Classification ; Dental Caries ; Dental Enamel ; Dentin ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Humans ; Radiography ; ROC Curve ; Tooth

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the use and acceptance of digital radiographic examinations by Brazilian dental practitioners in daily practice and to evaluate the advances that have occurred over the past 5 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dental practitioners enrolled in extension courses at the Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Brazil, responded to a self-administered questionnaire in the years 2011 and 2015. They were asked about sociodemographic factors and their knowledge and use of digital radiographic examinations. Descriptive analysis was performed, as well as the chi-square and Fisher exact tests, with a significance level of 5% (α=0.05). RESULTS: A total of 181 participants responded to the questionnaire in the years 2011 and 2015. Most of the respondents worked in private practice, had graduated within the last 5 years, and were between 20 and 30 years old. In 2011, 55.6% of respondents reported having ever used digital radiographic examinations, while in 2015 this number increased significantly to 85.4% (p<.0001), out of which 71.4% preferred it to conventional images. Moreover, 21.4% of respondents reported having used digital radiographic examinations for more than 3 years. A significant increase in use of intraoral digital radiography (p=0.0316) was observed in 2015. In both years, image quality and high cost were indicated, respectively, as the main advantage and disadvantage of digital radiographic examinations. CONCLUSION: This study showed that digital radiology has become more common in Brazil over the past 5 years. Most of the Brazilian dental practitioners evaluated in 2015 used digital radiographic examinations.
Brazil ; Dentists ; General Practice, Dental ; Humans ; Private Practice ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; Schools, Dental ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the image quality, diagnostic efficacy, and radiation dose associated with the use of a cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector, compared to charge-coupled device (CCD) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detectors. Materials and Methods: Lateral cephalographs of a phantom (type 1) composed of synthetic polymer filled with water and another phantom (type 2) composed of human skull macerated with polymer coating were obtained with CdTe, CCD, and CMOS detectors. Dosimeters placed on the type 2 phantom were used to measure radiation. Noise levels from each image were also measured. McNamara cephalometric analysis was conducted, the dentoskeletal configurations were assessed, and a subjective evaluation of image quality was conducted. Parametric data were compared via 1-way analysis of variance with the Tukey post-hoc test, with a significance level of 5%. Subjective image quality and dentoskeletal configuration were described qualitatively. Results: A statistically significant difference was found among the images obtained with the 3 detectors (P<0.05), with the lowest noise level observed among the images obtained with the CdTe detector and a higher subjective preference demonstrated for those images. For the cephalometric analyses, no significant difference (P>0.05) was observed, and perfect agreement was seen with regard to the classifications obtained from the images acquired using the 3 detectors. The radiation dose associated with the CMOS detector was higher than the doses associated with the CCD (P<0.05) and CdTe detectors (P<0.05). Conclusion Considering the evaluated parameters, the CdTe detector is recommended for use in clinical practice.

Purpose: This study was conducted evaluate the influence of reconstruction parameters of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) images on bone mineral density (BMD) analyses. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of micro-CT images of the maxillae of 5 Wistar rats, acquired using a SkyScan 1174 unit (Bruker, Kontich, Belgium). Each acquisition was reconstructed following the manufacturer's recommendations (standard protocol; SP) for the application of artifact correction tools (beam hardening correction [BHC], 45%; smoothing filter, degree 2; and ring artifact correction [RAC], level 5). Additionally, images were reconstructed with 36 protocols combining different settings of artifact correction tools (P0 to P35). BMD analysis was performed for each reconstructed image. The BMD values obtained for each protocol were compared to those obtained using the SP through repeated-measures analysis of variance with the Dunnett post hoc test (α=0.05). Results: The BMD values obtained from all protocols that used a BHC of 45% did not significantly differ from those obtained using the SP (p>0.05). The other protocols all yielded significantly different BMD values from the SP (p<0.05). The smoothing and RAC tools did not affect BMD values. Conclusion BMD values measured on micro-CT images were influenced by the BHC level. Higher levels of BHC induced higher values of BMD.