The influence of cone-beam computed tomography and endodontic practitioners' proficiency level on diagnosis and treatment planning of root resorption.

Background: A precise diagnosis is essential for formulating an effective treatment plan for both internal and external resorptions. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) offers a three-dimensional view of the maxillofacial area, capturing images from coronal, axial, and sagittal angles. This method overcomes the limitations of conventional intraoral radiography (IR), especially when it comes to detecting and identifying defects related to internal and external resorption. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess whether CBCT imaging affects the accuracy of diagnosing and planning treatment for internal and external resorption defects differently between endodontic residents (ERs) and specialists (ESs).

Material and methods: Thirty-five clinicians reviewed 3 internal and 3 external resorption cases using clinical histories and intraoral radiographs (IRs), then answered questions about their diagnosis and treatment decisions. One month later, they re-evaluated the cases with CBCT and answered similar questions. Data analyzed using Mc-Nemar chi-square test and Prevalence Adjusted Bias Adjusted Kappa statistic. The level of statistical significance was set off p< 0.05 in all data.

Results: CBCT significantly improved diagnostic accuracy in 2 out of 6 cases (p< 0.001) and altered the treatment plan in 4 out of 6 cases (p< 0.05). There was no significant difference between ERs and ESs regarding diagnosis and treatment planning using the same imaging technique (p> 0.05).

Conclusions: This study suggests that CBCT provides more detailed information compared to IR, with both imaging techniques allowing ERs and ESs to achieve similar diagnostic and treatment planning accuracy. Key words:Clinical decision making, cone-beam computed tomography, dental radiography, diagnosis, root resorption.