Diagnostic accuracy of carious lesions in digital radiographs at a public dental clinic - can it be improved by optimizing viewing conditions and further education?.

Objective: This study investigated the diagnostic accuracy of digital dental radiograpny for detecting carious lesions on approximal surfaces before and after optimization of the environ- ment, and after joint training on evaluation and review of x-rays. A further aim was to evaluate differences in diagnostic accuracy between general dental practitioners (GDPs) and dental hygienists (DHs).

Materials and methods: One hundred extracted teeth (premolars and molars) underwent standardized radiography. Eleven participants (seven GDPs and four DHs) evaluated digital images for approximal carious lesions in three sessions: (1) at current conditions with no optimization or further training, (2) under optimized viewing conditions, and (3) under optimized viewing conditions after a short educational session. Receiver operating characteristic curves were,used to evaluate the results. Histological evaluation was made and served as a cri- terion standard for differentiating sound teeth and teeth with carious lesions. Kappa statistics evaluated intra-observer agreement.

Results: Diagnostic accuracy in the GDP group differed sig- nificantlyfor all types of carious lesions between the first and third evaluations (p=0.002), and also between the second and third (p=0.015). Diagnostic accuracy also differed significantly for carious lesions into the dentin between the first and third evaluations (p=0.010) and between the second and third (p=0.015).

Conclusion: Most of the staff had optimized the environment when evaluating digital radiographs. A short educational session highlighting the difficulty of caries diagnostics in digital dental radiography can increase diagnostic accuracy. Diagnostic accuracy in the detection of approximal carious lesions on digital radiographs did not differ between GDPs and DHs.