Important technical parameters are not presented in reports of intraoral digital radiography in endodontic treatment: recommendations for future studies

Abstract

Objectives: The aims of this study were to review the literature on intraoral digital radiography in endodontic treatment with focus on technical parameters and to propose recommendations for improving the quality of reports in future publications.

Study design: Two electronic databases were searched. Titles and abstracts were selected according to preestablished criteria. Data were extracted using a model of image acquisition and interpretation.

Results: The literature search yielded 233 titles and abstracts; 61 reports were read in full text. Recent reports presented technical parameters more thoroughly than older reports. Most reported important parameters for the x-ray unit, but for image interpretation only about one-half of the publications cited resolution of the display system and fewer than one-half bit depth of the graphics card.

Conclusions: The methodologic quality of future publications must be improved to permit replication of studies and comparison of results between studies in dental digital radiography. Our recommendations can improve the quality of studies on diagnostic accuracy.