A Pilot Study of Grayscale Value to Differentiate Cavitated Carious Lesion from Non-cavitated Lesion

Sirilawan Tohnak；Potjaman Totiam；Jirapatch Phengjan；Chotiroth Sunkom；Natnicha Wamasing

Gray-scale ； Initial carious lesion ； Non-cavitated carious lesion ； Proximal caries

Journal of International Dental and Medical Research

11卷2期（2018 / 07 / 01）

445 - 448

英文

Grayscale value is an adjunct for the caries detection in some dental radiographs, due to its distinguishability of the cavitated carious lesion from the non-carious one. This study aims to confirm an effect of the grayscale intensity in the dental radiographs of demineralized enamel on the distinction of a carious lesion. Seventy-one freshly extracted premolar teeth (43 non-cavitated and 28 cavitated carious lesions) were clinically reviewed by visual and tactile examinations. Postradiography of all teeth with a bitewing technique, the mean grayscale values were calculated. Using a hard tissue macrotome, ground sections, 400 mm thick, were serially and mesio-distally cut in a parallel direction to each anatomical crown’s long axis and observed with a stereomicroscope. Intra-and inter-observer agreements were assessed with a Pearson correlation. Statistical scores and histological gold standard indicated the diagnostic ability. It was revealed that mean grayscale value of the non-cavitated lesion was significantly different from that of the cavitated one (p ＜ 0.05). Unlikely, mean grayscale of the non-cavitated lesion was not significantly different from that of the sound enamel (p ＞ 0.05).