Effect of various digital processing algorithms on the measurement accuracy of endodontic file length.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of endodontic file lengths after application of various image enhancement modalities. STUDY DESIGN: Endodontic files of three different ISO sizes were inserted in 20 single-rooted extracted permanent mandibular premolar teeth and standardized images were obtained. Original digital images were then enhanced using five processing algorithms. Six evaluators measured the length of each file on each image. The measurements from each processing algorithm and each file size were compared using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni tests (P = 0.05). Paired t test was performed to compare the measurements with the true lengths of the files (P = 0.05). RESULTS: All of the processing algorithms provided significantly shorter measurements than the true length of each file size (P < 0.05). The threshold enhancement modality produced significantly higher mean error values (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference among the other enhancement modalities (P > 0.05). Decrease in mean error value was observed with increasing file size (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Invert, contrast/brightness and edge enhancement algorithms may be recommended for accurate file length measurements when utilizing storage phosphor plates.

Demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft and platelet-rich plasma vs platelet-rich plasma alone in infrabony defects: a clinical and radiographic evaluation.

The objective of this work is to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA)/platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combination with PRP alone for the treatment of infrabony defects 18 months after surgery and to examine the influence of radiographic defect angle on the clinical and radiographic outcomes. Twenty-eight infrabony defects were treated with DFDBA/PRP combination or PRP alone. Clinical parameters and radiographic measurements were compared at baseline and 18 months. Interquartile range was performed to classify the defect angles. Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon test, and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data. The DFDBA/PRP combination exhibited more favorable gains in both clinical and radiographic parameters than PRP alone group (p < 0.05). A correlation existed between defect angle, defect depth, and clinical/radiographic outcomes for the defects treated with DFDBA/PRP. The narrow defects presented more favorable clinical attachment level values (CAL) gain, probing pocket depth (PPD) reduction and defect resolution than wide defects in the combination group (p < 0.05). The influence of baseline defect angle was not significant in the PRP-alone group (p > 0.05). The results indicate that DFDBA/PRP combination is more effective than PRP alone for the treatment of infrabony defects, and the amount of CAL gain, PPD reduction, and bone fill increases when the infrabony defect is narrow and deep before DFDBA/PRP combination treatment.