Automatic exposure compensation in intraoral digital radiography: effect on the gray values of dental tissues

Background This study aimed to investigate the effect of automatic exposure compensation (AEC) of intraoral radiographic systems on the gray values of dental tissues in images acquired with or without high-density material in the exposed region using different exposure times and kilovoltages. The influence of the distance of the high-density material was also investigated. Methods Radiographs from the molar region of two mandibles were obtained using the RVG 6100 and the Express systems, operating at 60 and 70 kV and 0.06, 0.10, and 0.16 s. Subsequently, a titanium implant was inserted in the premolar’s socket and other images were acquired. Using the ImageJ software, two regions of interest were determined on the enamel, coronary dentine, root dentine, and pulp of the first and second molars to obtain their gray values. Results In the RVG 6100, the implant did not affect the gray values (p > 0.05); the increase in kV decreased it in all tissues (p < 0.05), and the exposure time affected only the root dentine and pulp. In the Express, only enamel and coronary dentine values changed (p < 0.05), decreasing with the implant presence and/or with the increase in exposure factors. The distance of the implant did not affect the results (p > 0.05). Conclusions AEC’s performance varies between the radiographic systems. Its effect on the gray values depends not only on the presence or absence of high-density material but also on the kV and exposure time used.

Overview on Updates on Digital Dental Radiography

Wilhelm Roentgen first discovered X-rays in 1895. Since its introduction in the mid-1980s, digital radiography has surpassed traditional screen-film radiography. Since 2000, more than 75 percent of medical clinics in the United States have migrated to digital radiography (DR). In fact, the US government has ordered that all medical records be converted to digital. Indirect, direct, or semi-direct digital radiography pictures are types of digital radiography currently available. Forensic radiology is a branch of medical imaging technology that helps clinicians. Radiology technology has evolved and grown tremendously in recent years. When comparing aggregated antemortem and postmortem information, radiographs are crucial. Adopting new technologies into a dental business demands a certain amount of bravery. After all, why alter things if your practise is running smoothly? To grasp the new equipment and procedures, the dentist and his or her staff will need further training. It's not always apparent how the new strategy will influence the practice's present logistics. These factors may cause the practitioner to be hesitant to alter present techniques. In this article we’ll reviewing digital dental radiography, and what are the advantages of going digital. And also what are the challenges that face us.

Uso de las Modalidades Diagnósticas Pertenecientes a la Imagenología Dentofacial en la Odontología Forense. Revisión de Literatura.

Objetivo: Describir el uso de las modalidades diagnosticas pertenecientes a la imagenología dentofacial en la odontología forense. Materiales y métodos: Se realizo una búsqueda en la base de datos de PubMed, Google Académico y SciELO con las palabras clave “Dentofacial imaging”, “Panoramic Radiography”, “Lateral Cephalogram”, “Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)”, “Digital Radiography”, y “Forensic Dentistry”. Se seleccionaron 48 artículos publicados en ingles, de fechas recientes, buscando información que describiera el uso de las modalidades diagnosticas pertenecientes a la imagenología dentofacial en la odontología forense. Resultados: Las modalidades diagnosticas de la imagenología dentofacial incluyen dentro de las más relevantes para la odontología forense la radiografía panorámica, la radiografía lateral de cráneo, la radiografía posterioanterior de cráneo y la tomografía computarizada de haz cónico. Conclusiones: Estas modalidades, junto a la ejecución de análisis morfométricos, permiten al odontólogo forense la identificación de un cadáver, la estimación de la edad, el sexo e incluso la reconstrucción facial forense con fines identificativos.

New method of performing erector spine plane block for treatment of pain syndrome

Background. Osteochondrosis is one of the most common causes of pain in back and extremities. Treatment methods range from therapeutic exercises and massage to complex transpedicular spine fixations with decompression of the spinal cord and its roots. In the most difficult cases, despite adequate surgery, pain might return with no less intensity. The purpose was to describe a clinical case of pain treatment in a patient with generalized osteochondrosis accompanied by a postoperative surgery muscular-tonic syndrome. Results. Chronic pain could not be controlled with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pregabalin, however, it was effectively relieved using the technique of regional anesthesia, erector spinae plane block. The main difficulty and danger of the blockade was that if the patient already had metal structure in the body this might have changed anatomical landmarks, and metal itself scattered ultrasound rays in such way that the picture on ultrasound monitor was not good enough to safely and effectively perform regional anesthesia. Therefore, erector spinae plane block was performed under the control of digital radiography. Conclusions. Erector spine plane block can be used to treat severe pain regardless of its etiology. The use of digital radiography to perform blockade can be an alternative technique if ultrasound imaging is technically difficult or impossible due to different reasons.

Image Quality Evaluation of a Digital Radiography System Made in Thailand

Background. The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) in Thailand researched and prototyped digital radiography systems under the brand name BodiiRay aiming for sustainable development and affordability of medical imaging technology. The image restoration and enhancement were implemented for the systems. Purpose. The image quality of the systems was evaluated using images from phantoms and from healthy volunteers. Methods. The survey phantom images from BodiiRay and other two commercial systems using the exposure settings for the chest, the abdomen, and the extremity were evaluated by three experience observers in terms of the high-contrast image resolution, the low-contrast image detectability, and the grayscale differentiation. The volunteer images of the chests, the abdomens, and the extremities from BodiiRay were evaluated by three specialized radiologists based on visual grading on 5-point scaled questionnaires for the anatomy visibility, the image quality satisfaction, and the diagnosis confidence in using the images. Results. BodiiRay phantom results were similar to those from the commercial systems. The overall performance averaged across the exposure settings showed that BodiiRay was slightly better than Fujifilm FDR Go in the low-contrast detectability ( p = 0.033 ) and in the grayscale differentiation ( p = 0.004 ). It was also slightly better than Siemens YSIO Max in the high-contrast resolution ( p = 0.018 ). The images of chest, pelvis, and hand phantoms illustrated comparable visual quality. For volunteer images, the percentage of the images scored ≥4 ranged from 61% to 99%, 23% to 92%, and 96% to 99% for the chest, abdomen, and extremity images, respectively. The average score ranged from 3.63 to 4.46, 3.18 to 4.21, and 4.41 to 4.51 for the chest, abdomen, and extremity images, respectively. Conclusion. The phantom image results showed the comparability of these systems. The clinical evaluation showed BodiiRay images provided sufficient image qualities for digital radiography of these body parts.