What do represent the radiolucent and radiopaque images under the amalgam restorations?

Abstract

Radiolucent and or radiopaque images under amalgam restorations that result in dubious interpretations can take to an incorrect therapeutic decision. Radiolucent images can represent demineralized dentin, active carious lesions or non radiopaque dental material. Poorly radiopaque images are frequently interpreted as hypermine¬\ralized dentin but they can also represent demineralized dentin. To evaluate those images, they were obtained bite-wing x-rays of 53 extracted posterior teeth that presented amalgam restoration, later sectione for visual analysis. Of these, 15 (28,3%) presented radiolucent and or radiopaque images under the restoration, in most of the cases (ll) in the combined form and all the them corresponded, in the sections of the teeth, to the characteristic image of demineralized dentin.