A comparison of combinations of clinical and radiographic examinations in evaluation of a dental clinic population.
Panoramic periapical anterior and posterior bitewing radiographic, mirror-explorer, and transillumination clinical examinations were performed on 300 patients. Various combinations of the radiographic and clinical examination techniques were compared in terms of their ability to diagnose caries, alveolar bone loss, calculus, periapical bone lesions, impacted teeth, root tips, and miscellaneous conditions. A mirror-explorer clinical examination with panoramic and posterior bitewing radiographs and either anterior bitewing radiographs or transillumination proved to be as efficient in the initial examination of patients as the mirror-explorer clinical examination with periapical and posterior bitewing radiographs.
D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010808:Physical Examination; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014172:Transillumination