Radiographs are of limited value in the diagnosis of osseous defects.
Anatomic and technical factors affect the radiographic appearance of
bone lesions. This study was undertaken in order to determine whether
the radiographic appearance of alveolar osseous defects depends on their
location, and particularly whether there are any differences in
radiographic detection between bone defects located in the maxilla or
the mandible, and on the buccal or lingual aspects of the alveolar
crest. Experimental bone lesions were created in the alveolar crest of a
skull. Standardized periapical radiographs were obtained before and
after the defects were made. After processing, pairs of radiographs were
randomly mounted. Five dentists acted as observers in order to determine
whether or not a change in alveolar bone was detectable at each of the
five possible locations. The unpaired t test was applied for the
assessment of statistically significant differences with respect to
sensitivity, specificity, and positive diagnostic value in the diagnosis
of bone lesions depending on their location. The results showed that the
anatomic location of a lesion in the alveolar bone affected its
radiographic appearance. Moreover, experimental defects were detected
more often in the mandible and on the lingual surfaces of the alveolar
crest
