Diagnostic accuracy of direct digital dental radiography for the detection of periapical bone lesions: overall comparison between conventional and direct digital radiography.

摘要

OBJECTIVES: The diagnostic accuracy of direct digital radiography for the detection of small, experimentally made, periapical lesions was compared with that of E speed film. The high- and low-contrast resolutions of the imaging systems were also compared. STUDY DESIGN: The high-contrast resolution was evaluated with a line pair plate. The low-contrast resolution was determined with a contrast-detail plexiglass phantom. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, the periapical region of dry human mandibles was examined. Receiver operating characteristic based on the readings of seven observers were generated. RESULTS: The high-contrast resolution of the digital system was inferior, but the low-contrast resolution was comparable to that of E-speed film. For diagnostic accuracy no significant difference was seen between the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of the direct digital images is comparable to that of E-speed film for the detection of periapical bone lesions.