Interproximal Caries Detection Ability of Dental Practitioners Using Direct Digital System and Conventional Films

The study amed to compare the accuracy of proximal caries detection by dental practitioners using two different systems, direct digital system and conventional films, under routine environmental conditions. Materials and methods: Eleven extracted human posterior teeth were mounted on wax frames and were exposed using the direct digital system and conventional films. Seventy-four dental practitioners evaluated these images for proximal caries. No environmental conditions were dictated. The dental practitioners’ evaluations were compared with histopathological sections that were used as the gold standard. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the dental practitioners’ ability to detect caries using the direct digital and conventional systems (P=0.548).No significant differences were found between groups based on the level of the dental practitioners’ work experience (P=0.167). Conclusion: Dental practitioners work well with both direct digital and conventional systems in the diagnosis of proximal caries, although the routine environmental condition is not the ideal one. Further, this ability is so basic that it is not influenced by the level of the dental practitioner’s experience. Therefore, we recommend that digital systems be considered for use in dental offices.