The quality of radiographs used in the pretreatment review of dental claims.

The purpose of the study was to assess the quality of radiographs accompanying claims submitted for pretreatment review, and to determine the relative importance of radiograph quality in dental consultants' decisions regarding the necessity and appropriateness of crown services. Findings indicate that: 1) the technical quality of radiographs in the sample is adequate for most criteria; and 2) radiograph quality, number, and type of film submitted do not explain much of the variation in disagreements between the direct and indirect assessments of crown services. The most important radiograph variables influencing pretreatment review decisions appear to be the number of periapical films submitted for review, and the density/contrast of the radiographs.