Analysis of Artifacts and Errors on Intraoral Phosphor Plate Radiographs: A Retrospective Study

Introduction. The advantages of phosphor plates (PPs), including their flexibility, thinness, and wireless connectivity, have contributed to their widespread use in dentistry alongside the advancement of digital radiography techniques. Continuous use of PPs and certain errors may lead to artifacts on the images. This retrospective study aimed to determine the frequency and types of intraoral PP artifacts. Methods. This study was conducted on 814 intraoral PP radiographs, including periapical and bitewing images. The errors and artifacts were classified into 4 main categories: technical errors, plate-related artifacts, scanner-induced artifacts, and ambient light artifacts. Results. A total of 656 periapical and 158 bitewing radiographs were examined. The most observed artifacts on the radiographs were plate-related artifacts, followed by technical errors (n=542, n=461, respectively). Within the category of plate-related artifacts, the most common artifacts were cracks or scratches (n=418, 77.1%), while within the category of technical errors, these were cone-cut errors (n=188, 40.7%). Parallel or zigzag radiopaque lines were the most common scanner-induced artifacts (n=313, 98.7%) and fading was the most common ambient light artefact (n=93, 49.2%). On more than half of the PPs, more than one artifact group was observed. Conclusions. Cone-cut, cracks/scratches, parallel zigzag radiopaque lines, and fading were common PP artifacts and errors in this study. The analysis revealed that over half of the PPs exhibited appearance of more than one artifact group. The high frequency of artifacts poses a risk of incorrect and incomplete diagnoses in radiographs, emphasizing the crucial importance of understanding the causes and developing effective prevention strategies for artifacts to enhance the reliability of diagnostic imaging and ensure the accuracy of patient assessments.