Purposes: this clinical study evaluated the accuracy and execution time of a digital imaging fiber-optic transillumination (DIFOTI) technique for the detection of approximal caries in posterior teeth compared to intra-oral examination associated with bitewing radiographs.
Methods: one hundred patients were selected and submitted to clinical inspection and bitewing radiographs. The outcomes of this process were converted into scores, according to the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS): 0-sound tooth; 1, 2, and 3-carious lesion confined within enamel; 4, 5, and 6-dentin carious lesion. Subsequently, an independent investigator acquired digital images of the same teeth using a DIFOTI device (DIAGNOcam, Kavo Dental), which were also converted into ICDAS scores. The time required for executing diagnostic procedures was measured. The clinical sensitivity and specificity of DIFOTI were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The time necessary to perform the diagnostic methods was evaluated by Mann-Whitney U (alfa = 0.05).
Results: the overall test accuracy for the DIFOTI-based device ranged from 0.717 to 0.815 (area under the ROC curve) with p < 0.0001 for all ICDAS scores. Bitewing radiographs took almost twice the time required by DIFOTI (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: the DIFOTI-based device DIAGNOcam provided accurate detection of approximal caries in posterior teeth, even at early stages. The technique employed for transillumination caries diagnosis by the same device took less time than conventional bitewing radiographs.
Clinical relevance: transillumination devices, such as DIAGNOcam, can be accurately used for caries diagnosis in approximal surfaces of posterior teeth, demanding less clinical time and without radiation-related risks.
Keywords: ROC curve; bitewing; dental caries; diagnosis; fiber optic technology; oral; radiography; transillumination.