Comparison of radiographic imaging quality/accuracy using photostimulable phosphor plates and metal oxide semiconductor receptors.

Aim: To compare thequality and accuracy of radiographic images obtained by dentistry students from a Chilean university using photostimulable phosphor plates (PSP) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) receptors.

Materials and methods: An experimental study was carried out in which 31 dental students used PSP and CMOS receptors to acquire radiographic images with the aid of a phantom. The time required to generate a radiograph was recorded. Image quality included sharpness/definition and brightness/contrast analysis. Accuracy assessed placement error, angulation errors, and cone cutting. A three-point scale was used for each variable: 0 = undiagnosable, 1 = acceptable diagnosis with minor errors, and 2 = perfect diagnostic quality.

Results: The required time to generate a radiograph was faster with PSP than with CMOS (1.43 ± 0.28 min and 1.52 ± 0.61 min, respectively). Image quality analysis revealed that PSP was superior in sharpness/definition and brightness/contrast, whereas no significant differences were observed compared to CMOS (p > 0.05). Moreover, no differences were noticed in technique accuracy regarding angulation errors and cone cutting (p > 0.05). However, placement errors with PSP had significantly higher average scores than CMOS (1.11 ± 0.77 and 0.67 ± 0.85, respectively; p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Dental students would benefit from being trained on both receptors to be able to adapt to a diversified workplace. Radiographic images obtained by dentistry students demonstrate that PSP and CMOS exhibit similar parameters regarding quality and accuracy, except in placement where PSP demonstrates greater accuracy.