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OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of limited-volume high-resolution cone beam CT (CBCT) in the detection of periodontal bone loss. METHODS: 163 simulated periodontal lesions of different depths were created in dried human hemimandibles. Specimens were imaged using the intraoral paralleling technique and limited-volume CBCT (3DX Accuitomo; Morita Co. Ltd, Kyoto, Japan). Ten viewers examined the images. Data were analysed with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. ROC curves were generated and the areas under the maximum-likelihood curves (A(z)) were compared. Other statistical analyses were used to detect the normality of the distribution of the results. RESULTS: The results are reported as the individual viewer ROC curve areas for each of the two imaging modalities. In all experiments the A(z) area for CBCT (0.770-0.864) was larger than the A(z) area for periapical film (0.678-0.783); statistical tests showed a statistically significant difference between the two modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that the CBCT technique has better accuracy and diagnostic value than periapical films in the detection of interradicular periodontal bone defects.
Noujeim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.