ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to establish which materials afford better simulation of
soft tissues in Oral Radiology studies.Material and MethodsThe sample was composed of four materials in eleven different thicknesses to
simulate the soft tissues of the face. The mean values of the relative amounts of
radiographic contrast of the materials were determined and compared to a gold
standard value, which was obtained from 20 patients who were referred to have
periapical radiographs taken of the left mandibular molars. Data were subjected to
statistical analysis with Dunnett's test (p<0.05).ResultsThe mean value of the relative amounts of contrast encountered in the patients was
0.47, with a range between 0.36 and 0.64 for all 44 material/thickness
combinations. The majority of the tested materials showed values close to those of
the patients’ tissues, without statistically significant differences among them.
The values of only three materials/ thickness combinations differed statistically
from those of the patients’ tissues.ConclusionsBased on the results of the present study, it may be concluded that except for
utility wax (4 mm and 8 mm) and water (4 mm), all materials tested at different
thickness could be used as soft tissue substitute materials in Oral Radiology
studies.