Effect of Developer Age and Film Speed on Diagnostic Accuracy of Endodontic File Length Measurement on Radiographs

Background and Aim: Radiography has extensive applications in root canal treatment and the developer age plays an important role in making a definite diagnosis. The present study examined the effect of developer age on the diagnostic accuracy of endodontic file length measurement using D-speed, E-speed and E/F-speed films. Materials and Methods: In this diagnostic study, radiographs were processed weekly by a developer aged for up to 6 weeks. Radiographs were viewed by 5 postgraduate students of endodontics and oral radiology. They determined the file tip position using a 3-point confidence scale. The area under the curve (Az) was calculated and used as a diagnostic accuracy scale. The effects of film type and endodontic file size were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, Tukey’s post hoc test and Student’s t test. Results: E-speed and D-speed films had similar diagnostic accuracy higher than that of E/F speed film (p