Abstract
Background and aims. With the introduction of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) in dentistry, a question
has been raised whether the technique significantly increases the diagnostic accuracy in comparison with other techniques
or not. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the accuracy of CBCT modality in detecting proximal carious
lesions as compared to conventional periapical radiographs.
Materials and methods. This diagnostic study was carried out on 84 human extracted molars and premolars. The teeth
were mounted and divided in 28 blocks of 3 teeth. Periapical and CBCT images of teeth were obtained. Five observers
scored the images for the detection of proximal carious lesions using a 2-point scale (caries, present; caries, absent). The
gold standard was determined by histopathologic sections. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and receiver operating characteristics
(ROC) curves were traced for observers in both systems. The results were analyzed by paired t-test.
Results. The area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values of CBCT
images were 0.568, 0.835, 0.637, 0.714, 0.598 and 0.856, respectively. These parameters were 0.432, 0.837, 0.722, 0.77,
0.687 and 0.858 for the periapical conventional technique, respectively.
Conclusion. The CBCT images did not enhance detection of proximal caries in comparison with periapical images.