OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the inter and intra-observer agreement, sensitivity and specificity of inspection, probing, radiographs in occlusal caries diagnosis. MATERIAL&METHOD: One hundred thirty extracted permanent posterior teeth were included to study. Radiographs were obtained from teeth by same clinician at same exposure and processing conditions. Visual and radiographic examination and probing were made on these teeth by three observers by blind to each procedure and each person. Same persons observed radiographs by blind to each procedure and each other. The teeth were sectioned mesio-distally into to parts to observe under stereomicroscope (X20). Intra-observer agreements were evaluated by rank correlation coefficient (Kendall-tau b), inter-observer agreements were evaluated by interclass correlation coefficient, sensitivities and specifities were evaluated by ROC analysis for each methods and each person. RESULTS: Mean sensitivity values were %35, %46, %42, %29 and mean specificity values were %99, %86, %84, %84 respectively inspection, probing, radiograph, standardized radiograph in caries diagnosis. Mean intra-observer agreements were %53, %59, %72, %70 and inter-observer agreements were %71, %66, %71, %52 for respectively inspection, probing, radiograph. The mean values of under the ROC curve area were 69, 69, 72, 60 for respectively inspection, probing, radiograph, standardized radiograph. CONCLUSION: The success of traditional diagnostic methods is varying according to person and stage of occlusal caries. Although the sensitivity of conventional methods was low, specificity was high. New diagnostic techniques are required which can increase intra and inter-observer agreement and has higher specifity. *Selcuk University, Oral Diagnosis and Radiology Department, Konya; Turkey ** Selcuk University, Conservative Dentistry Department, Konya; Turkey

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