1993 Volume 43 Issue 3 Pages 290-297
An epidemiological study must be evaluated by exact diagnosis. It is necessary to analyze and standardize the form of the explorer point for the credibility and standardization of dental caries diagnosis. In this study, we carried out a mass dental examination using 25 new explorers and investigated the changes in the explorer points, analyzing the form by measuring area, length, and curvature.
Photographs of the explorer points were taken as two-dimensional images with a stereomicroscope and a system of microscope photography. Area and length of the explorer from a point 0.262mm in diameter to the tip were measured with a computer analyzed image apparatus. Twelve points of the explorer contour were plotted from the tip to 0.05mm in length on the coordinates supposing that X-axis was the diameter line and Y-axis was the center line of the diameter, and acquiring the curvature by applying the function of the upper side circle. Curvature showed the degree of the sharpness of the explorer. The average change and the interexaminer changes on the explorer point were investigated relative to the examination times from the results of measured area, length, and curvature before and after 5, 10, and 20 examinations. Area and length decreased with increase of the examination times, and the slope of the regression line of the examination times differed according to the examiner. We suggest that our analyzing method is useful for judging the form of the explorer.
