Bitewings Necessary in Assessments of Caries Rates in Children What Difference Does Using Bitewing Radiographs Make to Epidemiological Estimates of Dental Caries Prevalence and Severity in a Young Adolescent Population With High Caries Experience?

Methods: Examinations were conducted in dental clinics. Bitewing radiographs were taken at the time of the clinical examination. These were developed and read later, and data from those were used at the analysis stage to adjust caries diagnosis for the mesial, occlusal, and distal surfaces of the posterior teeth. Dental examinations were conducted in school dental clinics by calibrated public health dentists with caries status systematically recorded using standardized methods. Only lesions that involved dentin were used in the adjustment by radiograph status. For almost all parameters, use of radiographs resulted in higher caries experience estimates; exceptions were those involving filled surfaces or teeth.