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Purpose

To determine the correlation between the presence of radiolucent areas (RA) beneath composite restorations and gaps and remaining demineralized tissue (RDT).

Methods

50 extracted teeth (sound and carious) were studied. After caries removal, cavities were filled. Artificial cavities were created and filled in the sound teeth. Samples were sectioned and analyzed with stereomicroscopy.

Results

Gap/RDT was observed in 38.9%[95% confidence interval (CI)= 28.2-50.5] and 68.9%(95% CI= 57-78.6) of sound and carious teeth, respectively,(P= 0.001). Gap/RDT was associated with RA (P< 0.001). Sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive values (PPV), predictive negative value, and accuracy for carious teeth were 77.1%(95% CI= 63.7-87.3), 54.5%(95% CI= 33.8-74.1), 78.7%(95% CI= 65.3-88.7), 52.2%(95% CI= 32.1-71.7), and 70%(95% CI= 58.5-79.8), and for sound teeth were 73.7%(95% CI= 62.9-82.6), 59.1%(95% CI= 47.0-70.4), 67.5%(95% CI= 56.9-76.9), 66.1%(95% CI= 53.4-77.3), and 66.9%(95% CI= 58.9-74.3). Only the PPV differed between the sound and carious teeth (P= 0.024). There was a correlation between radiolucency and gap/RDT, but a high number of false positives were found.