DOI: 10.36347/sjds.2016.v03i06.003

Pages: 164-169

Abstract: Early diagnosis of root resorption lesions may result in the arrest of these lesions with therapeutic protocols; this early diagnosis can only be achieved with CBCT. However, CBCT involves higher radiation doses compared to conventional radiography. A greater radiation dose is required when using different voxel sizes of CBCT system. Therefore, it is important to determine the voxel size, which creates an image with high diagnostic potential with minimum possible radiation dose. This study evaluated the effect of changes in voxel size on the diagnostic results of external root resorption using the Planmeca CBCT system. Single-rooted anterior teeth were collected and cavities measuring 0.25 and 0.5 mm in depth were created on their cervical, middle and apical surfaces. CBCT scans of the lesions were obtained using two voxel sizes: 0.2 and 0.4 mm. Two observers determined the presence of simulated external resorptions on CBCT images. Diagnostic indices of specificity, accuracy, sensitivity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated for all the images. Diagnostic capacities of CBCT images obtained at the above voxel sizes were almost similar on the middle, apical and cervical surfaces and with large and small lesions. Good, agreements were observed between the two observers examining the images prepared using two voxel sizes. Similar diagnostic abilities were noted for two voxel sizes of CBCT system to diagnose external root resorption lesions; therefore, voxel size 0.4 can be used to detect root resorption lesions with adequate accuracy and the least patient exposure dose.