INTEROBSERVER AGREEMENT IN RADIOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF PERIAPICAL STATUS

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to interpret the interobserver accordance in the analytical interpretation of apical periodontitis on the digital radiograph, which is a measure of the reliability of this radiological technique. This study was conducted in the Operative dentistry unit of Islamic International Dental Hospital (IIDH), in which 100 digital radiographs taken with the Soredex Digora (R) Optime were selected for observation by 3 specialists endodontic, 3 endodontic second-year residents, and 3 BDS final year students independently. The apical status was assessed using the periapical index (PAI). All data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 23. Fleiss kappa factual test is utilized to evaluate the degree of agreement among numerous raters. The complete Fleiss kappa result for the 9 raters observation is 0.54 (P < .001).This result is in the moderate range (0.4 to 0.6) for the 9 raters observation. The result obtained from this study has shown that in dental radiology direct digital imaging is a reliable, long lasting technique for diagnostic and endodontic treatment planning phases.