Reporting radiographic methods in dental epidemiologic and experimental studies

A number of technical and methodologic factors govern the quality of the radiographic image. The purpose of the present paper is to analyze the attention paid to these factors in epidemiologic studies and clinical trials. The description of radiographic methods in a sample of scientific reports was reviewed. It is concluded that the descriptions are generally sparse. They seem to be of an erratic character, and the data described are not selected according to their significance. Factors governing object coverage, image density and contrast, image geometry, and readability are discussed in relation to the descriptions analyzed. Recommendations for relevant and informative descriptions enabling the reader to evaluate and control the results of an investigation are presented.