In Vitro Comparison of ICDAS And DIAGNOdent Pen in The Diagnosis and Treatment Decisions of Non-Cavitated Occlusal Caries

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of the ICDAS and the DIAGNOdent Pen in the diagnosis of occlusal caries lesions without cavitation, and for basing treatment decisions on the results obtained. Eighty permanent molar teeth that were healthy and non-cavitated or that had an initial occlusal lesion were evaluated. All teeth were investigated using DIAGNOdent Pen and ICDAS by four examiners. Histological evaluation of teeth was performed using stereomicroscopy by a histologist and different experienced dentist. For evaluation of the data, weighted kappa values (kw), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and likelihood ratio (LR+) values of the tests were calculated. The diagnostic results obtained using the DIAGNOdent Pen were found to correlate better with the results obtained from histological sections than those obtained using ICDAS. When the treatment decisions of the observers depending on the results of ICDAS, and ICDAS and DIAGNOdent Pen combination were compared with the decisions made based on histological examinations, the decisions based on ICDAS and DIAGNOdent Pen combined (kw: 0.522) were more accurate than the ones based on ICDAS (kw: 0.415) alone. In conclution, professional experience is an effective factor in diagnosing occlusal caries lesions without cavitation with ICDAS and in making treatment decisions for them. DIAGNOdent Pen is sufficient in diagnosing occlusal caries lesions without cavitation.