Quality and Findings of Bitewing Radiographs among Twenty-Year-Old Conscripts in Finland

Objectives. Bitewing radiographs are mainly used to confirm clinical findings in caries diagnostics. The objective here was to investigate the quality of bitewing radiographs after short brush-up training and additional findings besides caries in a low-caries population. Methods. The material of thi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of dentistry 2021, Vol.2021, p.8894917-9
Main Authors: Hyvönen, Miika, Jaakkola, Arttu, Tanner, Tarja, Päkkilä, Jari, Kämppi, Antti, Patinen, Pertti, Tjäderhane, Leo, Sipola, Annina, Huumonen, Sisko, Anttonen, Vuokko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bone loss
Dental caries
Dental enamel
Dentists
Fractures
Hypotheses
Lesions
Medical screening
Military service
Nuclear accidents & safety
Oral hygiene
Radiography
Teeth
Young adults
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Summary:Objectives. Bitewing radiographs are mainly used to confirm clinical findings in caries diagnostics. The objective here was to investigate the quality of bitewing radiographs after short brush-up training and additional findings besides caries in a low-caries population. Methods. The material of this cross-sectional study comprised 377 pairs of bitewing radiographs of 19- to 20-year-olds taken by dentists. Radiography was considered indicated if one dentinal caries lesion was present on clinical examination. A senior oral radiologist evaluated quality and diagnosed the findings afterwards unaware of clinical status. The association between variables was analysed using cross tabulation and chi-squared testing. Results. Almost half of the images were of compromised quality (44.1%). Dentinal caries lesions were detected in 82.3% and enamel lesions in 73.5% of the subjects. On average, the subjects had 1.7 (SD 0.52) dentinal lesions. Fillings were found in 81.8%, fractures/cracks in 11.7%, and attrition in 7.4% of the subjects. Signs of excessive bite force were recorded in 19.4%, whereas marginal bone loss was detected in 6.4%. No significant correlation was detected between fractures, attrition, and excessive bite forces. Conclusions. Effort must be taken to ensure high quality of bitewing radiographs. In addition to caries detection, bitewing radiographs offer additional value, such as detecting excessive bite forces, tooth wear, and marginal bone loss among young adults.
ISSN:1687-8728
1687-8736
DOI:10.1155/2021/8894917