Abstract

"ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy and interobserver reliability of examiners with different levels of clinical experience, when diagnosing radiographic proximal caries lesions. Bitewing radiographs were selected from a patient attending Operative Dentistry Clinic, Universidad de Chile. Radiographic examination was performed by three different groups: A: third year dentistry students, B: fourth year dentistry students, and C: dentist recently graduated. Thirty-two proximal surfaces were scored as: 0, sound; 1: enamel caries; and 2: dentinal caries. The data were analysed and accuracy and interexaminer reliability were calculated. Accuracy values for enamel caries were: A (0.54), B (0.55) and C (0.58), and dentinal caries were: A (0.55), B (0.61) and C (0.63). Interexaminer reliability denoted marginal agreement for all groups, A (0.249), B (0.213) and C (0.282) for enamel caries and A (0.058), B (0.102), and C (0.344) for dentinal caries. The results of this study indicate that the accuracy and interexaminer reliability of bitewing radiographic examination were influenced by the clinical experience when detecting radiographic proximal caries, however low values of accuracy and interexaminer reliability were noted, reinforcing the necessity of improving education and training in radiographic caries detection."