title: Radiolucent halos beneath composite restorations do not justify restoration replacement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the correlation between the presence of radiolucent areas (RA) beneath composite restorations and gaps and remaining demineralized tissue (RDT).
  
  
  METHODS
  50 extracted teeth (sound and carious) were studied. After caries removal, cavities were filled. Artificial cavities were created and filled in the sound teeth. Samples were sectioned and analyzed with stereomicroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gap/RDT was observed in 38.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) =28.2-50.5] and 68.9% (95% CI = 57-78.6) of sound and carious teeth, respectively, (P = 0.001). Gap/RDT was associated with RA (P < 0.001). Sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive values (PPV), predictive negative value, and accuracy for carious teeth were 77.1% (95% CI = 63.7-87.3), 54.5% (95% CI = 33.8-74.1), 78.7% (95% CI = 65.3- 88.7), 52.2% (95% CI = 32.1-71.7), and 70% (95% CI = 58.5-79.8), and for sound teeth were 73.7% (95% CI = 62.9-82.6), 59.1% (95% CI = 47.0-70.4), 67.5% (95% CI = 56.9-76.9), 66.1% (95% CI = 53.4-77.3), and 66.9% (95% CI = 58.9-74.3). Only the PPV differed between the sound and carious teeth (P = 0.024).There was a correlation between radiolucency and gap/RDT, but a high number of false positives were found.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mua
authors.forename: Berenice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barbachan E Silva
authors.forename: Vânia Regina Camargo
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Fontanella
authors.forename: Fernanda Cristina Mendes De Santana
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Giongo
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maltz
mesh_terms: D003188:Composite Resins; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins