Effect of Delayed Scanning and Scanning Resolution Using Photostimulable Phosphor Plates on Detection of Vertical Root Fracture: In Vitro Study

OpenAlex English

Objective: Detecting vertical root fractures (VRFs) can be challenging in dentistry due to their subtle and often concealed nature. This study aimed to assess the impact of varying resolutions and delayed scanning times of photostimulable phosphor plates on the diagnosis of VRFs. Can different resolutions and/or delayed scan times enhance the diagnosis of VRFs? Material and Methods: In this in vitro study, forty extracted single-rooted premolar teeth were utilized. The crowns of all teeth were removed, and root canals were prepared. The teeth were divided into 2 groups: 20 study teeth with VRFs and 20 teeth without VRFs. VRFs were created using an Instron machine. All tooth roots were positioned in the premolar region of a dry human mandible and fixed with wax. Subsequently, periapical radiographs were taken using a parallel technique. Radiographs were scanned at 4 different times post-exposure: immediately, 30 minutes later, 2 hours later, and 4 hours later, and at three different resolutions: high speed, high resolution, and super high resolution. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS statistics 26.0. Results: Intra- and interobserver agreement exhibited substantial to almost perfect ranges of agreement. Statistically significant differences were not observed in the diagnosis of VRFs when comparing different resolutions and scanning times. Conclusion: Varying resolutions and/or delayed scan times did not improve the diagnosis of VRFs. In clinical practice, a comprehensive detection of VRFs might necessitate a combination of different imaging techniques, immediately scanning, optimizing resolution settings, and clinical assessment.