A Comparison of the Accurate Diagnosis of the Horizontal & Vertical Bitewing Images

A Comparison of the Accurate Diagnosis of the Horizontal & Vertical Bitewing Images in Detecting Approximal Caries and Interdental Bone Loss in Posterior Teeth: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The aims of this research are to determine if vertical bitewings will be more effective and more comprehensive for the diagnosis of caries and the level of alveolar bone loss than the horizontal bitewing technique for the patients at King Abdulaziz University over the age of 18. This is a cross sectional study. All the images in this study will be conducted at School of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University. Each patients will be exposed to 4 horizontal bitewing for posterior teeth ( standard of care ) and 4 vertical bitewing for the same area ( experimental ). The radiographs will be processed digitally. All the x ray will be taken using the standard protection protocol.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Periodontal Diseases; Dental Caries
• Intervention / Treatment: Radiation: Bitewing X ray

Detailed Description

The aims of this research are to determine if vertical bitewings will be more effective and more comprehensive for the diagnosis of caries and the level of alveolar bone loss than the horizontal bitewing technique for the patients at King Abdulaziz University over the age of 18. This is a cross sectional study. All the images in this study will be conducted at School of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University. Each patients will be exposed to 4 horizontal bitewing for posterior teeth ( standard of care ) and 4 vertical bitewing for the same area ( experimental ) . X ray will be taken using a film holder and a steel wire (3mm ) on the film holders. This steel wire will help to adjust for magnification later on. The x ray tube will be in the same distance (4mm from the x ray). The bitewing radiographs will be taken with double-packed Ekta speed Plus films on a radiograph machine operating at 70 kilovolt peak and 8 milliampere, having 2.5 aluminium filtration and a 0.860.8 mm focal spot, according to the manufacturer's exposure recommendations, with the parallel technique to obtain an accurate x ray as much as possible . The radiographs will be processed digitally. All the x ray will be taken using the standard protection protocol.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Saudi Arabia
  • Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
    • King Abdulaziz University , Faculty of Dentistry

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Patients who are currently be treated KAU dental clinics and meet all medical and dental requirements of the KAU clinic for treatments (e.g., subjects with no diseases contraindicating their dental treatment at KAU).
3. Display no evidence of acute periodontal infection: e.g., abscess, suppuration, severe swelling and/or spontaneous bleeding that required urgent treatment
4. Non-smoker.
5. Patients who have opposing teeth and no missing posterior or canine teeth in all quadrants (except third molars).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Have any known disease and would not allow the patient to be treatment planned for any procedures in the KAU clinics (e.g., severe anemia, low white blood cell count (Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) less than 1500, bleeding or coagulation disorder, uncontrolled hypertension (150/90), recent myocardial infarction (within 6 months of enrollment), diabetes (HbA1C ≥7%), HIV/AIDS (self-reported), history of or currently undergoing head and neck radiation, history of or currently taking bisphosphonates, endocrine-induced bone diseases (e.g. hyperparathyroidism), immunosuppressive therapy).
2. Have limited mental capacity and unable to give informed consent.
3. Be a pregnant or lactating female (self-reported)
4. Have untreated malignant neoplasm.
5. Individuals opposed to participate in the study.
6. If a patient has a crown which will not be able to assess the caries boarder and cementoenamel junction.

7. if a patient has a gagging reflex or inability to open his/her mouth.

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Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: vertical bitewing; All of the bitewing radiographs will be evaluated by two experienced restorative dentists for caries. All observers will be instructed on the definition of the rating scale before the examination sessions. The observers will be using the following a 5-point confidence scale as follows: 1=caries definitely absent; 2=caries probably absent; 3=equal chance of caries being present or absent; 4=caries probably present; 5=caries definitely present. If caries was detected a second 5-point confidence scale as follows: 1=caries mostly absent (< 25%); 2=caries slightly presence( 25%-50%) ; 3=about half of the border are presence; 4=caries probably clear ( most boarders are presence); 5=caries definitely clear ( all borders are presence ).	Radiation: Bitewing X ray; Each patients will be exposed to 4 horizontal bitewing for posterior teeth ( standard of care ) and 4 vertical bitewing for the same area ( experimental ) . X ray will be taken using a film holder and a steel wire (3mm ) on the film holders. This steel wire will help to adjust for magnification later on. The x ray tube will be in the same distance (4mm from the x ray). The bitewing radiographs will be taken with double-packed Ekta speed Plus films on a radiograph machine operating at 0 kilovolt peak and 8 milliampere, having 2.5 aluminium filtration and a 0.860.8 mm focal spot, according to the manufacturer's exposure recommendations, with the parallel technique to obtain an accurate x ray as much as possible . The radiographs will be processed digitally. All the x ray will be taken using the standard protection protocol .
Active Comparator: horizontal bitewing; All of the bitewing radiographs will be evaluated by two experienced periodontist for bone loss measurements. The steel wire will be used to determine the magnification factor as explained by G Li et al. 8 The steel wire and cemento enamel junction (CEJ) - if not obscure by caries - will be used as reference points for bone loss measurements. Each tooth will be measured mesially and distally twice and all these measurements will be adjusted using the steel measurement.9 All the measurements will be conducted using IC measure INK software.	Radiation: Bitewing X ray; Each patients will be exposed to 4 horizontal bitewing for posterior teeth ( standard of care ) and 4 vertical bitewing for the same area ( experimental ) . X ray will be taken using a film holder and a steel wire (3mm ) on the film holders. This steel wire will help to adjust for magnification later on. The x ray tube will be in the same distance (4mm from the x ray). The bitewing radiographs will be taken with double-packed Ekta speed Plus films on a radiograph machine operating at 0 kilovolt peak and 8 milliampere, having 2.5 aluminium filtration and a 0.860.8 mm focal spot, according to the manufacturer's exposure recommendations, with the parallel technique to obtain an accurate x ray as much as possible . The radiographs will be processed digitally. All the x ray will be taken using the standard protection protocol .

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Caries Detection	Count number of teeth with caries	baseline and 15 minutes
Level of Bone Loss	All of the bitewing radiographs will be evaluated for bone loss measurements. The steel wire will be used to determine the magnification factor . The steel wire and cemento enamel junction (CEJ) - if not obscure by caries - will be used as reference points for bone loss measurements. Each tooth will be measured from the CEJ to the bone crest.	baseline and at 15 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: King Abdulaziz University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 15, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 29, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): July 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 8, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 8, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): April 10, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 12, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 8, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Radiography, Bitewing
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Tooth Diseases; Tooth Demineralization; Periodontal Diseases; Dental Caries
• Other Study ID Numbers: 0530517

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No