Ulf Welander

Occlusal Caries Detection with KaVo DIAGNOdent and Radiography: An in vitro Comparison

A new laser fluorescence method, KaVo DIAGNOdent, was tested with respect to reproducibility and validity and compared with radiography regarding accuracy in the detection of occlusal caries. Seventy–six extracted premolar and molar teeth were measured twice with DIAGNOdent under both wet and dry conditions, at an interval of 2 weeks. Conventional film radiographs were exposed. Microradiographic analysis of sections of the teeth served as the gold standard. Intra–class correlation coefficient and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to assess the reproducibility and the validity of the method, respectively. The influence of time and varying humidities on DIAGNOdent readings were analysed by two–way repeated measure ANOVA. ROC curves were plotted for DIAGNOdent readings and radiographic registration of caries by 6 observers, and the areas under the curves were compared using Student’s t test. Under both wet and dry conditions, the reproducibility of the DIAGNOdent method was excellent: R = 0.97 and 0.96, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of DIAGNOdent was significantly better than that of radiography (p≤0.001). In this in vitro study of detection of occlusal caries, the diagnostic performance of the DIAGNOdent method was superior to that of radiography.

Image distortion in rotational panoramic radiography. II. Vertical distances.

Films, exposed with rotational panoramic radiography, are generally considered inferior regarding the accuracy of measurements. Theoretic mathematical calculations, confirmed by an experimental test, have been performed in order to evaluate the reliability of measurements of distances that appear vertical in the image. It is demonstrated that, within certain limits, the panoramic film may be used for vertical measurements in clinical practice provided the patient has been properly positioned in the equipment during the exposure.

Basic technical properties of a system for direct acquisition of digital intraoral radiographs

The Sens-A-Ray system for direct digital intraoral radiography may be used with any computer compatible with an IBM PC/AT. The system relies on a charge-coupled device designed for direct conversion of x-ray energy to an electronic signal. It is the first such device for direct acquisition of radiographs. Technical properties of charge-coupled device detectors when exposed to radiation energies in the range of x-rays used in dental radiography have been studied. Even in the absence of light or x-radiation there is a spontaneous generation of charge within a charge-coupled device detector that gives rise to a background signal, a dark current. It was found that the dark current is a linear function of exposure time. The dose response of the charge-coupled device detector was determined at nominal kilovoltages that range from 50 to 90 kVp. The dose response was shown to be a linear function of exposure. The functions for all kVp settings were practically identical. The charge-coupled device detector is more sensitive to x-radiation than conventional dental films and, consequently, its exposure range is more narrow. The signal-to-noise ratio was calculated from the digital radiographs used for the dose response test. The ratio is above 10 for exposures higher than about 2 microC/kg. The line spread function was determined from test radiographs of a 10 microns wide slit in a test object of 1.5 mm thick tantalum. After curve fitting, the line spread function could be expressed as the sum of a Gaussian and an exponential function. Presampling modulation transfer functions valid at the detector plane and at an object plane were calculated from fitted data on the line spread function. It is concluded that the Sens-A-Ray system has such technical properties that it may replace conventional film-based systems.

Sens-A-Ray a new system for direct digital intraoral radiography

A new system for direct digital intraoral radiography, Sens-A-Ray, is presented. This system is based on a detector with a charge-coupled device that was designed especially for direct exposure to x-ray radiation. The system also includes interface electronics and an IBM AT-compatible personal computer with a digital I/O with frame memory, a super VGA graphics board, a high-resolution monitor, and software for the exposure, capture, storage, and enhancement of images. An external optical mass storage device is used for permanent storage of images in digital format. A video printer may be used to create hard copies. The system produces radiographic images at a significantly lower exposure than required for E-speed intraoral film. Applications of the system are exemplified, and its basic properties are discussed.

Image quality of direct digital intraoral x-ray sensors in assessing root canal length: The RadioVisioGraphy, Visualix/VIXA, Sens-A-Ray, and Flash Dent systems compared with Ektaspeed films

The Trophy RadioVisioGraphy model 32000 system in Normal Mode, the Trophy RVG-PC in Normal and Archive Mode, the Gendex VIXA/Visualix, the Regam Sens-A-Ray, and the Villa Flash Dent in High-Resolution Mode and Normal Mode were compared with respect to the visibility of endodontic files. Kodak Ektaspeed film served as the reference. An acrylic embedded human skull was prepared for taking radiographs with endodontic files (Kerr files size 10 and size 15) on full root length and 1.5 mm short in upper and lower premolars and molars. Possibilities for enhancement of the digital images were not studied. Receiver operating characteristics curves were derived and the areas under the curves were averaged and compared using Students t test statistic (p < 0.05). Kodak Ektaspeed film gave acceptable results for both file sizes. Both Trophy RVG units in Normal Mode and the Regam Sens-A-Ray system gave results above the areas under the curves equals 0.95 for the size 15 files. For the size 10 files the values of the areas under the curves of all sensors systems were below this threshold. It is concluded that both RVG units in Normal Mode and the Sens-A-Ray system render a comparable result with conventional radiography in determining root canal length with the use of a size 15 files. All sensor systems were unacceptably inferior to film images when size 10 files were used.

Image distortion in rotational panoramic radiography. III. Inclined objects.

Mathematical calculations have been performed to analyse how accurately the angle between objects, inclined in space, is reproduced on panoramic films. A marked tolerance against angle distortion was found. Angular measurements may be performed on correctly exposed panoramic films, and the values obtained are satisfactorily accurate for most clinical purposes.

Resolution as defined by line spread and modulation transfer functions for four digital intraoral radiographic systems

Line spread functions for four commercially available systems for direct digital intraoral radiography were determined from images of a slit of negligible width. From the fitted line spread functions presampling modulation transfer functions were calculated. The four systems were the Sens-A-Ray (Regam Medical System AB, Sundsvall, Sweden), the VIXA/Visualix (Gendex, Chicago Ill.), the RVG (Trophy Radiologic, Paris, France), and the Flash Dent (Villa Sistemi Medicale srd, Buccinasco, Italy). Digital intraoral radiography is in a state of rapid development, and detectors as well as computer hardware and software are continually modified and improved resulting in successively changing system parameters. As this occurs the present work provides a method that may be used to determine comparable data on future systems.

Exposure parameters and their effects on diagnostic accuracy

A new method for analyzing diagnostic accuracy is introduced. A diagnostic accuracy curve may be obtained by plotting receiver operating characteristic analysis data, P(A), as a function of exposure. By means of diagnostic accuracy curves the effects on diagnostic accuracy of tube potential, exposure, and size of carious lesions was studied. It was found that the effect of the tube potential on the accuracy of caries diagnosis is negligible. About 25% of the variation in diagnostic accuracy depends on the exposure and about 80% on lesion depth. With the lesion depth constant, about 75% of the variance in diagnostic accuracy depended on observer performance. The peak of a diagnostic accuracy curve indicates optimum performance. This is found at an exposure that gives a radiographic density of about 1 in enamel and dentin although the tolerable exposure increases with increased lesion depth.

Image distortion in rotational panoramic radiography. IV. Object morphology; outer contours

On films exposed with rotational panoramic radiography, distortion effects are often apparent. The distortion of the outer contour of three-dimensional model objects jas been analysed mathematically. The applied mathematical expressions for coordinate transformation between object and film were confirmed experimentally. The distortion of the outer contour is dependent on the basic form of the object; the more rounded the object is, the less marked is the distortion. It is concluded that for practical clinical purposes the correctly exposed panoramic film is reliable when the form of rounded objects is assessed.

Preliminary evaluation of a digital system for rotational panoramic radiography

A prototype system for direct digital panoramic radiography has been evaluated with respect to density, contrast, magnification, distortion, resolution, and overall image quality. Density and contrast depend on detector calibration and may be modified by the display system or by digital processing of the captured image. Variation of magnification in the horizontal and vertical dimensions gives rise to distortion phenomena that are identical to those encountered in film-based systems. Resolution in the vertical dimension is determined by the pitch of the detector elements. In the horizontal dimension, resolution is limited by the effective width of the detector elements. To evaluate the clinical acceptability of the images, radiologists and general practice residents were asked to assess the perceptibility of important radiographic landmarks in film-based and digital images of both a radiographic phantom and a patient. The digital system performed on a par with film in the representation of normal morphologic structures of the clinical human subject whereas more differences were apparent in the phantom images. The general practice residents consistently rated the digital images higher than their radiologist counterparts did. No consistent trends were found to indicate any inherent deficiencies of the digital system in the depiction of any one area. The results indicate the promise of direct digital acquisition as a method of panoramic imaging.