Reproducibility and overlapping of bitewing radiographs: comparison of Eggen-bite with Kwik-bite.

In the present study the reproducibility of horizontal dimensions and of overlappings of two filmholder techniques with aiming devices (Eggen-bite and Kwik-bite) and additionally the number of overlappings on the resulting bitewing radiographs were compared. The overlapping reproducibility was significantly higher with Kwik-bite. The microdensitometric reproducibility demonstrated the same tendency, but the result was not significant. Bitewings carried out by an oral radiologist demonstrated fewer overlappings with Eggen-bite than with Kwik-bite, while bitewings carried out by inexperienced students revealed no difference between the methods. Both reproducibility and number of overlappings should be taken into consideration when bitewing filmholder techniques are used in epidemiological and longitudinal studies.