The purpose of the current study was to investigate the detection of marginal discrepancy clinically and radiographically inserted in patients treated by sixth-year (senior year) dental students. The null hypothesis was that clinical and radiographic assessments are similar. A retrospective observational study was conducted in 2019. Forty-five dental restorations were examined by both dentists independently for the presence of a marginal catch by using a sharp explorer and a bitewing radiograph. Proximal contacts were assessed by using dental floss. The Pearson Chi-square statistical test was used to determine the difference (α=.05). The inter-examiner reliability (Kappa) ranged from .431 to .911. Margins were ranked clinically as catch ranging from 4 (8.9%) on the mesial margin to the highest on the buccal margin 25 (55.6%). Radiographically, margins were ranked open from 4 (8.9%) to 7 (15%), not open 32 (71.1%) to 35 (77.8%). When comparing radiographic ranking to the clinical evaluation, the acceptability of clinically marginal catch based on radiographs ranged between 2 (4.4%) to 4 (8.8%) of the restorations. Ranking a margin with no catch clinically as open radiographically occurred in 2 (4.4%) to 6 (13.3%) of the restorations. Proximal contacts were tight 77% of the time and were open 13.3% and were not applicable in 8.4% of the restorations. Nearly half of the restorations presented with marginal discrepancy detected as a catch on the buccal surfaces. Proximal open contact detection using the dental floss technique was within the average percentages.
