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


METHODS
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.
Kullendorff
B
B
Department of Oral Radiology, Centre for Oral Health Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
Nilsson
M
M
Rohlin
M
M
D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010483:Periapical Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012372:ROC Curve; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014962:X-Ray Film
D003287:Contrast Media