In vitro comparison of four different dental X-ray films and direct digital radiography for proximal caries detection.

This study investigated the efficiency of different speeds of conventional intraoral films and a direct digital system for proximal caries detection. In this study, 48 extracted human posterior permanent teeth were used. Conventional bitewing radiographs and direct digital radiographs were obtained from the teeth. Three observers independently assessed 96 proximal surfaces, each observer had 10 years of experience. The presence or absence of caries was scored according to a five-point scale. True caries depth was determined by histological examination. The diagnostic accuracy of each radiographic system was assessed by means of a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The mean of areas under the ROC curve (Az) was analyzed by pairwise comparison of ROC curve. The interobserver agreement was evaluated by using ANOVA analysis. The statistical analysis of Az scores exhibited no significant difference for the five imaging modalities (p > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between interobserver agreements (p > 0.05). The results of this study showed that the diagnostic performance of E- and F-speed films and direct digital radiography are similar for proximal caries detection.