title: Effect of Different Tube Potential Settings on Caries Detection using PSP Plate and Conventional Film.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare intraoral Phosphor Stimulable Plate digital system and intraoral film using different tube settings on incipient proximal caries detection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five blocks, with five teeth each, were radiographically examined using phosphor plates and F-speed films. The images were acquired in 07 different tube potentials from 50-80 kV. The films were digitized. Three oral radiologists scored the images for the presence of caries using a 5-point rating scale. The areas under ROC curve were calculated. The influence of tube kilovoltage was verified by ANOVA and pair wise comparisons performed using Tukey test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ROC curve areas varied from 0.446-0.628 for digital images and 0.494-0.559 for conventional images. The tube setting of 70 kV presented the best result both for digital and conventional images. Considering the image type separately, 70 kV scored highest followed by 75 and 65 kV for digital images (p=0.084). For conventional image modality, even though 70 kV presented the best result, it did not differ significantly from 80 kV, not differing from 60 and 55 kV, which did not differ from 75, 65 and 50 kV (p=0.53).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phosphor plate digital images seem to be more susceptible to tube setting potential variations then digitized film images.
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Oral Diagnosis, State University of Paraíba , Campina Grande, Brazil .
authors.forename: Daniela Pita
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: De Melo
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Friburgo Dental School, Friburgo Federal University , Nova Friburgo, Brazil .
authors.forename: Adriana Dibo
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology & Medicine, University of Lowa , Lowa City, Iowa, USA .
authors.forename: Saulo Leonardo Sousa
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Oral Diagnosis, State University of Paraíba , Campina Grande, Brazil .
authors.forename: Julyanna Filgueiras GonçAlves
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: De Farias
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil .
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haiter-Neto
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil .
authors.forename: Solange Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: De Almeida
keywords: Dental digital radiography; Diagnostic tests; Intraoral radiography; ROC analysis