Assessing the Degree of Concordance Between Panoramic and Digital Bitewing Images in Showing Cervical Burnout

Abstract

Background and Objectives Cervical burnout is a diffuse radiolucent area in the interproximal surfaces of the posterior teeth in the cervical region. This phenomenon can mimic interproximal caries and cause false positive detection and irreversible destruction of unaffected tooth surfaces. Panoramic radiography is the most common radiography and bitewing radiography is the most useful radiography for detection of caries. The present study aims to assess the degree of concordance between panoramic and digital bitewing images in diagnosing cervical burnout. Subjects and Methods In this epidemiological analytical study, bitewing and panoramic images of 43 patients (172 first and second maxillary molars) referred to a oral & maxillofacial radiology clinic in Ahvaz, Iran. The presence or absence of cervical burnout on interproximal surfaces of maxillary first and second molars was evaluated by two oral & maxillofacial radiologists. The data were analyzed using McNemar test in SPSS software, version 22. Results There was a significant difference in showing cervical burnout on interproximal surfaces of maxillary first and second molar teeth between panoramic and digital bitewing images. Conclusion Bitewing radiography is superior to panoramic radiography in diagnosis of interproximal caries. Panoramic radiography is not a reliable method for this purpose