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Radiographic diagnoses and treatment decisions on approximal caries
Author(s) -
Espelid Ivar
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1986.tb01069.x
Subject(s) - medicine , dentistry , radiography , medical diagnosis , orthodontics , surgery , radiology
The purpose of the study was to examine the quality of radiographic caries diagnosis by dentists; the frequency of operative treatment decisions; and the frequency and pattern of proposals to fill sound surfaces. Radiographs of 68 approximal surfaces of extracted teeth were duplicated and examined by 243 dentists. A “true” diagnosis was established by direct inspection and probing. Great variation existed in diagnostic quality between dentists. Restoration therapy made up 15.6 of surfaces on average (SD = 6.5, range 0–66). Fillings were proposed for about 5% of the sound surfaces. About 25% of the dentists accounted for more than 80% of the treatment proposed for sound surfaces.