Evaluation of Radiographic Digital Techniques on De/Remineralization Processs of Enamel

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare digital techniques in the evaluation of the dental enamel de/remineralization. Methods: Sixty extracted molars were submitted to demineralization process and to remineralization. Radiographs before and after each stage were taken. These radiographs were evaluated by conventional method and then they were scanned and analyzed in the Image Tool program, using enhanced images or not. Furthermore, the gray levels of the affected areas were measured. Student t test, to paired groups for a probability of error of 5% was used to analyze statistically the data. Results: The results showed that the methods presented low sensibility: conventional visual radiographic exam 3,5%, unenhanced, 7,89% and enhanced, 9,65%. According to the specificity, all the analysis methods presented identical values (99,4%). In the gray scale levels analysis was found statistically significant differences (p = 0,001) between initial radiographs and after the caries lesion, since the average of the first group was higher than the average of the second one. The gray scales average between the “carious” and “remineralization” groups, presented significant difference (p = 0,048). The group “carious” average was smaller (143,56) than that one of the second group (146,76). It was observed no significant difference (p = 0,129) between the groups “before” and “remineralization” according to the evaluation of the gray levels, since the average of the first group (145,02) was smaller than the one of the second (146,76), which demonstrated that the remineralization process reestablished the normal density of the dental enamel. Conclusions: it was observed that conventional and digital radiographs presented good specificity and low sensitivity. The analysis of the gray levels proved to be efficient in demonstrating small changes on the enamel, leading to the conclusion that it might be the choice method to be used in the diagnosis of carious lesions.