Clinical influence of different interproximal wedge positions in a modified positioner for bitewing radiographs on the overlapping of proximal faces

• Grant number: 24/23853-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• 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 project will be to verify the clinical influence between the different positionings of the interproximal wedge (upper or lower) of a modified positioner for bitewing radiography on the overlapping of the proximal faces. This will be a cross-sectional, qualitative clinical study, acquiring bitewing radiographic images of patients using two radiographic positioners, the parallelism one and the modified one. The modified positioner will be printed on a 3D printer so that the wedge has different orientations (upper or lower) according to the side of the patient to be radiographed. The sample will consist of 45 patients, whose require bilateral bitewing radiographs and have adjacent and antagonistic posterior teeth in the region of interest. The patients will be randomly allocated by drawing lots to decide which type of positioner will be used on each side of the patient (parallel or modified) and which direction the wedge will face (up or down). 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 positioners. The images obtained will be evaluated by two dental radiologists for overlapping of the proximal faces. The data obtained (overlap rate, repetition/motivation and operator/patient perception) will be expressed as absolute and relative frequencies, and compared between the positioners using the chi-square test, with a significance level of 5%. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that positioning the wedge in different orientations (upper or lower) can influence the overlap of the proximal faces when using the modified positioner compared to the parallelism positioner.