Introduction: The development and progress of computerized technologies has revolutionized radiology with DIGITAL imaging. The aim of this study is to compare DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY (DR) and Temporal DIGITAL Subtraction (TDS) in detection of dentinal caries progression.Methods: 27carious teeth were placed in separate vials of sterile buffer solution after extraction.Three radiopaque restorations were placed in each tooth to aid in the alignment of successive radiographs. Each tooth was then mounted in poly methylmethacrylate and then incubated at 37oc in saliva buffer containing 5% glucose for 7 hours per day, 5 days a week for 8 weeks.Each day after the7hour incubation period, each tooth was washed with 25 ml of salivary buffer and placed in 50 ml of salivary buffer at 37oc until the next cycling day and the PH in the medium was maintained above 5. DIGITAL radiographs were taken for each tooth on day 1 and then at week 2, 4, 6 and 8. The images were subtracted and results were recorded and analyzed using SPSS software.Results: Statistical calculation showed a meaningful difference between the two methods. In other words, the progression of caries was more readily detected by the TDS technique such that during the first two weeks, diagnostic value of TDS was more than DR, but in the later stages, progression of caries was detected similarly by the two methods.Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that TDS is a more sensitive method for detecting change in tooth mineral content.

Purpose: This research aimed at estimating the patient effective dose from DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY repeat rateand evaluating the factors that contribute to the repetition of radiographic procedures in two referral hospitals in Sari, Iran. Materials and Methods: Entrance skin dose and effective dose per common RADIOGRAPHY procedures in DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY were measured. 1724 X-ray exposures were investigated prospectively. The annual number of each RADIOGRAPHY procedure was obtained from the archives of the DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY department. The patient cumulative dose was the calculation from annual exposures Repeat Rate (RR) and effective dose per DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY procedures. Results: The mean exposure RR per examination was 1. 12% and the total percentage of a repeat of all examination was 8. 9%. Annual cumulative dose (man-mSivert) resulted from radiographic RR was 449. 2. The chest and lumbar spine RADIOGRAPHY had the highest annual number and the highest radiation dose, respectively; therefore, these procedures transfer the largest annual dose from repeated radiographic images to the patients. The factors leading to the repetition included the radiographer error (69%), the X-ray tube and equipment error (10. 4%), the patient related error (16. 1%) and other cases (4. 1%). The average effective dose for each examination was 0. 36 mSv. Conclusion: DIGITAL radiographic repeat rate increases a 1. 1 % annual patient effective dose from the base level that receives from the current radiographic examination. Inconsistency of the center of the DIGITAL panel and the central axis of the X-ray beam and error in the selection of the upright or table DIGITAL panel are among the most important factors in the repetition of DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY.

Introdouction: The aim of the present study was to investigate image magnification in DIGITAL panoramic RADIOGRAPHY and assess the effect of anatomical sites on the magnification in both males and females.Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, DIGITAL panoramic radiographs of 48 patients with 202 implants were investigated. Implant diameter and length were measured on panoramic radiographs and the horizontal and vertical magnification rates of each placed area were calculated based on the length and width of the placed implant. A twoway ANOVA test was used to evaluate the magnification rate in regard to implant location and gender.Results: The range of the magnification factor of the width was 111.09–126.02, which was lowest in the maxillary molar region and greatest in the mandibular anterior region. While the lowest magnification value of the length (111.58) was observed in the mandibular molar region, the highest value (116.09) appeared in the maxillary premolar area. Hence, there were no significant differences in image magnification with regard to anatomical site and gender.Conclusion: DIGITAL panoramic RADIOGRAPHY can be reliably used for pre-implant evaluation in various anatomical sites of the jaws in both genders.

Background & Aim: The majority of carious lesions are not well-defined radiolucencies. Approximately 40% demineralization is required for radiographic detection of a lesion. The actual depth of penetration of carious lesion is deeper than may be detected radiographically. However, DIGITAL subtraction images permit to detect 1-5% decrease of mineral mass per unit volume. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of DIGITAL subtraction RADIOGRAPHY in the detection of dental demineralization in vitro.Methods & Materials: This study was based on observational-diagnostic method which was done on 30 extracted human teeth, categorized in two groups A and B, each having 15 members. In each of teeth, one approximal enamel demineralization lesion was induced using an acidified system (PH=4.8). Direct DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY were obtained under standardized condition of teeth before demineralization. After 7 days, the teeth of group B and after 42 days, group A removed from acid and new radiographs were taken. The images of the 7th and 42nd days were subtracted from the baseline radiograph (before creation of the lesion). Then teeth were histologically evaluated. Direct DIGITAL and subtraction images were interpreted by three observers to detect presence or absence of the lesion, then the diagnostic accuracy of both methods was determined.Results: After 7 days, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for incipient lesions in direct DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY were 0%, 80%, 40%, 0% and 44% respectively and in DIGITAL subtraction RADIOGRAPHY were 66.7%, 86.7%, 76.7%, 83.4% and 72.3% respectively. However after 42 days the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of both methods were 100%.Conclusion: DIGITAL subtraction RADIOGRAPHY has a fairly acceptable accuracy in detection ofthe incipient proximal lesions in comparison with DDR. For moderate proximal lesions DSR has the same accuracy as DDR.

Purpose: Root fracture is a clinical problem which often is difficult to detect and diagnose. As the root fracture detection is based on demonstration of a fracture line or lines, radiographic examination is important. The aim of this study was to compare diagnostic efficacy of direct DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY with conventional RADIOGRAPHY for detecting experimental root fractures.Materials & Methods: This study was based on observational diagnostic method which eighty one extracted single rooted human teeth were endodontically instrumented and divided into two groups, a control group of 40 teeth and a fractured group of 41 teeth in which root fractures were produced with Instron machine. Each tooth was imaged using the parallel technique with a CCD-based DIGITAL system and E-speed film. The images were interpreted by three experienced oral and maxillofacial radiologists without prior knowledge of the distribution of the root fractures. Three image groups were taken: conventional film, DIGITAL images and enhanced DIGITAL images. Sensitivity, specificity, false negative and false positive percentage, accuracy of each method in comparison with golden standard (visual examination of fractured and intact teeth) were analyzed. The degree of agreement in detecting root fractures with each imaging system compared with each other was expressed as the kappa value. Results: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for root fractures in conventional RADIOGRAPHY were 73.2%, 87.5% and 80.2% respectively, in direct DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY were 78%, 77.5% and 77.8% respectively and in enhanced direct DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY were 82.9%, 85% and 84% respectively. The most sensitive was enhanced direct DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY and the most specific was conventional RADIOGRAPHY.There was fair to good agreement between conventional RADIOGRAPHY and DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY (k=0.68), fair to good agreement between enhanced DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY and conventional RADIOGRAPHY (k=0.73) and excellent agreement between DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY and enhanced DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY (k=0.90).Conclusions: The diagnostic efficacy of Conventional RADIOGRAPHY, DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY and enhanced DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY in detecting root fractures was comparable with each other.

Background and Aim: Diagnosis of periapical pathology is of paramount importance in enabling the clinician to provide immediate and appropriate dental treatment. Both intraoral DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY and film RADIOGRAPHY are used to detect periapical pathology. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of DIGITAL radiographic imaging with conventional RADIOGRAPHY in detecting chemically created lesions.Materials and Methods: For conducting this experimental study one cow cadaver mandibular Jaw was used. After building four 1×1 cm2 pools at first molar areas, 35% Hydrochloric acid solution used to create chemically lesions. The designed time for chemically lesions was 4, 12, 24 and 36 hrs following acid exposure. Then, 1 DIGITAL and 1 conventional image with E-Speed film was taken from each half-jaw and images evaluated by five examiners. Wilcoxon signed Ranks test used for statistical analysis.Results: The results of this study showed that diagnosis were more precise in detecting lesions with RVG than conventional RADIOGRAPHY. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.05).Conclusion: Regarding the acceptable quality of DIGITAL radiographs comparing to conventional radiographs we suggest using this method for detecting bone lesions.

Introduction: Long-term clinical evaluation of dental implants and their surrounding structures is of utmost importance to acquire knowledge about reasons for implant success and failure.However, accurate and reproducible results are difficult to obtain. The aim of the present study was to examine bone height around endosseous implants on DIGITAL conventional radiographs (DCR) and direct DIGITAL subtraction images (DSI) prior to loading.Materials and methods: In this experimental study, bone height around 10 implants in 6 patients was assessed by 2 observers. Standardized DIGITAL radiographs were obtained just a week and 3 months postoperatively and subtracted by means of EMAGO software. Then the observers evaluated bone height on DCRs and DSIs. MINITAB software and paired t-test were used for statistical analysis (a=0.05).Results: Comparative evaluation of bone height indicated significantly higher values on DCR than on DSI (p value=0.002). The observers also had statistically significant variability in this assessment (p value=0.00003).Conclusion: DSI demonstrated lower values of linear measurement of bone height around endosseous implants compared with DCR. Interobserver variability should be considered when comparing values from follow-up studies.