Digital transillumination in caries detection versus radiographic and clinical methods: an in-vivo study.

Digital transillumination in caries detection versus radiographic and clinical methods: an in-vivo study.

Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2017 Feb 13;:20160417

Authors: Lara-Capi C, Cagetti MG, Lingström P, Lai G, Cocco F, Simark-Mattsso C, Campus G

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This paper was aimed to evaluate: a) the agreement between a near-infrared light transillumination device and clinical and radiographic examinations in caries lesion detection and b) the reliability of images captured by the transillumination device.
METHODS: Two calibrated examiners evaluated the caries status in premolars and molars on 52 randomly selected subjects using: for the occlusal surfaces the transillumination device comparing it with a clinical examination, and for the approximal surfaces, the transillumination device with a radiographic examination (bitewings radiographs). Forty-eight trained dental hygienists evaluated and re-valuated one-month later thirty randomly selected images.
RESULTS: A high concordance between transillumination method and clinical examination (kappa=0.99) was detected for occlusal caries lesions, while for approximal surfaces the transillumination device identified a higher number of lesions respect to bite-wing (kappa=0.91). At dentinal level, the two methods identified the same number of caries lesions (kappa=1), whereas more approximal lesions were recorded using the transillumination device in enamel (kappa=0.24). The intra-examiner reliability was substantial/almost perfect in 59.4% of the participants.
CONCLUSIONS: The transillumination method showed a high concordance compared to traditional methods (clinical examination and bitewing radiographs). Caries detection reliability using the transillumination device images showed a high intra-examiner agreement. Transillumination showed to be a reliable method and effective as traditional methods in caries detection.

PMID: 28191797 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://ift.tt/2lfeAWK