title: A comparison of root caries diagnosis based on visual-tactile criteria and DIAGNOdent in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This clinical study aimed to evaluate the validity of using DIAGNOdent in diagnosing root caries, and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of different cut-off DIAGNOdent values in assessing root caries with reference to visual-tactile criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exposed root surfaces were assessed by one examiner for root caries on 266 subjects using visual-tactile criteria and DIAGNOdent 2095 after dental scaling. Associations between DIAGNOdent values and visual-tactile diagnosis of root caries were determined. The cut-off level for statistical significance was 0.05. The sensitivity and specificity of DIAGNOdent with difference cut-off points were analysed compared to visual-tactile diagnosis of root caries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was significant difference between DIAGNOdent values obtained from sound and carious root surfaces (p<0.001). On carious surfaces, active root caries obtained significantly higher DIAGNOdent values than inactive root caries (p<0.001). With increasing cut-off point DIAGNOdent values from 5 to 35, sensitivity decreased from 91.4% to 16.2% and specificity increased from 64.4% to 98.2%. A cut-off point of DIAGNOdent value between 5 and 10 produced the highest combined sensitivity and specificity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a significant difference in DIAGNOdent values between sound and carious root surfaces diagnosed by visual-tactile criteria supporting the validity of DIAGNOdent for assessing root caries. A DIAGNOdent value between 5 and 10 produced the highest combined sensitivity and specificity when visual-tactile assessment of root caries was regarded as the criterion. These findings have implications in using and explaining DIAGNOdent values in assessing root caries.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Colman
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: Edward C M
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000628:therapy; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy; D012534:Dental Scaling; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D017213:Root Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000473:pathology; D014075:Tooth Discoloration / Q000175:diagnosis; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000473:pathology; D014110:Touch; D014796:Visual Perception