Objective: To compare films from three speed groups for the detection of approximal caries.
Study design: Insight, Ektaspeed Plus and Ultra-speed (Eastman-Kodak, Rochester, NY, USA) radiographs of the proximal surfaces of 40 extracted posterior teeth were evaluated by six observers. The presence or absence of caries was scored using a 5-point confidence scale. The actual status of each surface was determined from histology of ground sections. Observer responses were evaluated using ROC analysis and areas under the ROC curves (A(Z)) assessed using ANOVA.
Results: Ultra-speed film had a mean A(Z) of 0.88, Ektaspeed Plus 0.85, and Insight 0.84. These differences were not statistically significant (P=0.5). Differences between observers were also not statistically significant (P=0.42).
Conclusions: The performance of the new F-speed film was not statistically different from E or D speed for caries detection. This film shows promise as a means of reducing patient dose while maintaining diagnostic quality.