Diagnostic accuracy of two digital systems in the detection of carious lesions

Abstract

Objective: To determine the accuracy in the diagnosis of interproximal and occlusal carious lesions of two digital systems: Charged Coupled Device (CCD) and Photo Stimulable Phosphor (PSP), using as a gold standard the histological evaluation. Methods: 207 surfaces of teeth were evaluated using two digital systems: CCD (Planmeca ProSensor® HD) and PSP (VistaScan mini Easy Dürr Dental). The actual depth of the carious lesion was determined by the histological evaluation, using the Dinolite Microscope. To determine the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were performed. Results: The histological evaluation found 62 dental pieces with carious lesion on the occlusal surface, 38 pieces on mesial and 33 pieces on distal. The sensitivity in the occlusal surface was 95.15% for both systems, in mesial was 78.95% for CCD and 63.16% for PSP, in the distal surface was 75.76% for CCD and 78.79% PSP. The specificity for the surfaces evaluated with both systems was between 90-100%. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of the CCD and PSP digital systems were similar for the detection of occlusal and interproximal carious lesions. It is concluded that the modality of the image is not the factor that alters the diagnosis.