Preliminary results of a study comparing conventional radiography with phase-contrast radiography for assessing root morphology of mandibular third molars

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of phase-contrast radiography for assessing root morphology of mandibular third molars in comparison with conventional radiography. Methods: We studied 37 extracted mandibular third molars. One oral surgeon compared the number of roots and root curvature of the extracted teeth on conventional radiographs with those on phase-contrast images. Results: The number of roots and root curvature on conventional images differed significantly from those on phase-contrast images. Conclusions: Our results suggest the possibility that phase-contrast radiography is more useful than conventional radiography for assessing the root morphology of mandibular third molars.