Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Selcuk Dental Journal, cilt.12, sa.2, ss.273-277, 2025 (Scopus)
Aim: This study aimed to quantitatively compare clinical plaque scores with dental plaque areas measured on images obtained by digital photography and intraoral scanner by using a specific software program. Materials and Methods: Clinical dental plaque scoring was measured according to the "Turesky Modified Quigley Hein Plaque Index" after dental plaque staining (Tri Plaque ID Gel, GC Corp.) to evaluate the oral hygiene of 20 patients. Following the clinical scoring procedure, intraoral photographs of the patients were taken using standardized dental photography equipment (EOS 700D, Canon Inc.), and the scan images were recorded by an intraoral scanner (iTero Element Flex, Align Tech.). In the data obtained, the dental plaque area on the labial surface of 66 anterior teeth was measured with the Image J software (National Institute for Health, Bethesda, USA), and the ratio of dental plaque area to the visible surface area of the tooth was measured. Spearman and Pearson Correlation Analysis were used to compare plaque area in intraoral photographs and scans and correlated them with clinical scores (p<0.05). Results: The agreement between plaque area measured on intraoral scanner images and intraoral dental photographs was found to be positive and high (0.999; p<0.001). Additionally, a positive and high agreement was detected between the dental plaque scores obtained in the clinic and the plaque area measured on the intraoral scanner images (0.937; p<0.001). Similarly, a positive and high agreement was detected between the dental plaque scores obtained in the clinic and the dental plaque area measured on the photographs (0.941; p<0.001). Conclusion: Under the conditions of the study, dental plaque areas measured by intraoral scans and dental photographs were determined to be compatible with each other. The mentioned digital clinical imaging methods might be clinical alternatives to the conventional dental plaque scoring techniques. Study protocol registered in www.clinicaltrials.gov Clinical trial number: NCT06443853.