An Evaluation of the Ability of the Senior Dental Students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in Detecting Proximal Caries in Digital Bitewing Radiography in the Academic Year of 2019-2020

Dental caries is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world.  In addition to clinical examinations, the use of radiographic techniques, especially the bitewing technique, is the main tool for the accurate diagnosis of proximal caries.

In this cross-sectional study, 50 standard-quality Bitewing radiographs (576 dental surfaces) were obtained from a radiology clinic. The samples were examined separately by three faculty members as gold standard and 30 senior dental students to detect the presence or absence of dental caries and their depth. The observers were asked to mark the presence and absence and depth of dental caries according to the criteria specified in the questionnaire. The findings were analyzed by SPSS software Version 22 and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, false positive, and false negative were calculated.

The rate of agreement (Kappa) between the faculty members and students in detecting  caries was 0/610 ± 0/007 that was statistically significant (p < 0/001). The sensitivity and specificity of the students' diagnoses of proximal caries were 89/9% and 70/3%, respectively. Interobserver reliability among the students’ detection of caries yielded a Kappa coefficient of 0/857 ± 0/007.

The ability of senior  students of  Rafsanjan Dental School to diagnose the presence of caries and detect deep caries (near the pupl) was excellent, and their ability to detect caries on the enamel surface and caries reaching the DEJ was moderate/good. The students' reliability in diagnosing caries  was also excellent.