A comparison between two types of radiographic film for accuracy of measurements of approximal osseous defects.

AIM The purpose of this study was to compare two types of conventional radiographic film: Ekta-speed plus and Insight (Eastman Kodak Co, Rochester NY, USA) for accuracy of measurements of approximal bone loss. METHODS AND MATERIALS Four dried human mandibles with complete dentition were selected. Radiographic images were made with a standardized technique. Mesial and distal bone levels on the mandibular premolar and molar teeth were measured on the two types of radiographs (Ekta-speed plus and Insight) by nine observers. The data obtained by the observers were compared with the primary investigators' corresponding measurements, which served as "the ground truth" for this study. RESULTS The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated a significant difference for the Ekta-speed plus film (p = .001), but the difference was not clinically significant. The level of intra-rater reliability was high for the observers (0.969 to 0.990). CONCLUSION Performance of Ekta-speed plus and Insight films was found to be similar.