Journal of Dental Medicine

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In recent years many patients have been received radiotherapy for head and neck tumors and a large number of them have been survived for some years.The side effects of radiotherapy in oral region are mucositis, ulcers, fungal and viral infections and salivary glands dysfunction. Among these, mucositis is the most important one.A randomized double blind clinical trial was performed in radiotherapy department of Tehran Imam Khomeini Hospital to determine chamomile mouth rinse effects on mucositis after radiotherapy.The patients are selected randomly from those with oral oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal cancers.Data showed that chamomile administration could decrease mucositis rate significantly,

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Statement of Problem: Computer Sciences, in radiology, like other fields, is of high importance. It should also be noted that the accuracy of the technique and work conditions affects the radiographs information considerably. There for, in order to get more accurate diagnostic information, it seems necessary to investigate different digitized radiographic techniques and to compare them with the conventional technique.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of conventional and digitized radiographic images by three digitization techniques in proximal caries detection.
Material and Methods: In this research study, sixty extracted human canines, premolars and molars were mounted in blocks and imaged on E-Kodak film, similar to bitewing radiographs. Ten bitewing radiographs were then scanned at 600 d.p.i with flat bed scanner and a digital camera, then digitized at 300 d.p.i with another digital camera. The digitized images were displayed randomly on a high-resolution monitor. Six
observers assessed the caries status of 120 proximal surfaces by conventional and digitized images. The observer's scores were compared with the results of the macroscopic examination. Reliability of each technique was calculated. Data were analyzed using chi-square and ANOVA tests.
Results: No significant differences were detected between different techniques in intact proximal surfaces and enamel caries diagnosis. However, digital techniques were more sensitive in dentin caries detection (P<0.05).
Conclusions: When conventional film images are digitized, medium resolution (300 d.p.i) seems to be sufficient. At this resolution the file size is decreased and there is no significant loss of the information necessary for caries diagnosis.

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Statement of Problem: One of the major goals, in most dental researches, is to measure bone destruction or deposition due to the progression or regression of disease. Failure of human eyes to detect minor radiographic density changes resulted in more accurate methods such as optical densitometry and direct or indirect digital densitometry.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of a newly proposed method of indirect digital densitometry using modified Photoshop software.
Materials and Methods: Radiographs from 37 samples of urografin solution with three concentrations (12.5%, 25% and 37.5%) were taken on dental radiographic films no.2 and digitized by a scanner. A region with 800*800 pixels was cropped from each image and compressed with the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) compression algorithm and saved. These new images were then put into registration with new algorithm using MATLAB software version 6.1. This algorithm assigned each image and average pixel value (between 0 and 255). The association between concentration and calculated values for each image was tested with regression analysis and the meaning fullness of differences between calculated values was also analysis by ANOVA test. Tukey HSD and Alpha Krunbach were used whenever needs.
Results: Regression analysis revealed significant correlation between concentration and calculated average pixel value (r=0.883). The differences between average of pixels value for different concentration was significant (P=0.0001). Pixel values showed a good intra- sample and intra-group repeatability (Alpha Krunbach: a=99.96%, a=99.68%).
Conclusion: This method due to its high accuracy, easy usage and densitometer independency can be considered as a suitable alternative for conventional densitometry methods.

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Background and Aim: Accurate bone measurements are essential to determine the optimal size and length of dental implants. The magnification factor of radiographic images may vary with the imaging technique used. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of linear tomography and panoramic radiography in vertical measurements, as well as the accuracy of linear tomography in mandibular width estimation.

Materials and Methods: In this test evaluation study, the vertical distances between the crest and the superior border of the inferior alveolar canal, marked with a metal ball, was measured by linear tomography and panoramic radiography in 23 sites of four dry mandible bones. Also the mandibular width was measured at the same sites. Then, the bones were sectioned through the marked spots and the radiographic measurements were compared with actual values.

Results: The vertical magnification factor in tomograms and panoramic radiographs was 1.79 (SD=0.17) and 1.69 (SD=0.23), respectively. The horizontal magnification of tomograms was 1.47 (SD=0.17). A significant correlation was found between the linear tomographic and actual values, regarding vertical dimensions (p<0.001, r=0.968) and width (p<0.001, r=0.813). The correlation was significant but lower in panoramic radiographs (p<0.001, r=0.795). Applying the magnification values suggested by the manufacturer, the mean difference of vertical measurements between the tomographic sections was 2.5 mm (SD=3.4) but 3.8 mm (SD=1.65) in panoramic radiographs. The mean of absolute difference in mandibular width between the tomographic sections and reality was 0.3mm (SD=1.13). In the linear tomograms, 4.3% of vertical and 56.5% of the width measurements were in the ±1mm error limit. Only 4.3% of the vertical measurements were within this range in the panthomographs. The linear regression equation between the actual values and those obtained by radiography in vertical dimensions showed that 87.5% of tomograms and 51.8% of panoramics were located in the ±1 mm error limit.

Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the linear tomography is more accurate than panoramic radiography in mandibular height estimation. The accuracy of linear tomography in width estimation is within acceptable limits.

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Background and Aims: Accurate bone measurements are essential for determining the optimal size and length of proposed implants. The radiologist should be aware of the head position effects on image dimensions in each imaging technique. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of mandibular plane angle on image dimensions in linear tomography.
Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, the vertical dimensions of linear tomograms taken from 3 dry mandibles in different posteroantenior or mediolateral tilts were compared with actual condition. In order to evaluate the effects of head position in linear tomography, 16 series of images while mandibular plane angle was tilted with 5, 10, 15 and 20 degrees in anterior, posterior, medial, or lateral angulations as well as a series of standard images without any tilt in mandibular position were taken. Vertical distances between the alveolar crest and the superior border of the inferior alveolar canal were measured in posterior mandible and the vertical distances between the alveolar crest and inferior rim were measured in anterior mandible in 12 sites of tomograms. Each bone was then sectioned through the places marked with a radiopaque object. The radiographic values were compared with the real conditions. Repeat measure ANOVA was used to analyze the data.
Results: The findings of this study showed that there was significant statistical difference between standard position and 15º posteroanterior tilt (P<0.001). Also there was significant statistical difference between standard position and 10º lateral tilt (P<0.008), 15º tilt (P<0.001), and 20º upward tilt (P<0.001). In standard mandibular position with no tilt, the mean exact error was the same in all regions (0.22±0.19 mm) except the premolar region which the mean exact error was calculated as 0.44±0.19 mm. The most mean exact error among various postroanterior tilts was seen in 20º lower tilt in the canine region (1±0.88 mm) and for various mediolateral tilts the most exact error was seen in the canine region in 20º upper tilt (2.9±2 mm).
Conclusion: The mean exact errors in various regions and various 5º to 20º posteroanterior and mediolateral mandibular tilts were in the range of acceptable values (≤1 mm) except for the canine region. However, this effect is more considerable in mediolateral tilt compared with posteroanterior tilt, posterior region compared with anterior region, and upper tilt compared with lower tilt.

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