Clinical application of a modified bitewing positioning device to reduce proximal surfaces overlapping

• Grant number: 23/15292-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Radiology
• Principal Investigator: Hugo Gaêta Araujo
• Grantee: Lara Ravanelli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto (FORP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of the study will be to clinically validate the use of a modified radiographic positioning device for the bitewing technique. This will be a cross-sectional, qualitative clinical study, acquiring bitewing radiographic images of patients using two radiographic positioning devices, the traditional and the modified. The modified device will be printed on a 3D printer. The sample will consist of 45 patients, those requiring bilateral bitewing radiographs with the presence of adjacent posterior teeth and antagonist teeth in the region of interest, and the operators, a dental student and a radiology technician. Patients will be randomly assigned to the operators and a draw will be made to decide which type of device will be used on each side of the patient. The images will be acquired on a digital radiographic system with phosphor storage plates. After the radiographic examination, a questionnaire will be administered regarding the perception of the use of the two types of devices. The images obtained will be evaluated by two dental radiologists. The data will be analyzed using the SPSS software. The data (repetition, overlap rate and operator/patient perception) will be expressed as absolute and relative frequencies, and compared between the devices using the chi-square test, with a significance level of 5% (p<0.05). The aim of this study is to demonstrate the clinical applicability of a modified positioning device for acquiring bitewing radiographs, to reduce the occurrence of the error of overlapping adjacent faces.