Abstract
Implant therapy has become a common treatment standard of partial and total edentulism during
the past quarter-century. In clinical examination, Multi Detector-row Computed Tomography or Corn
Beam Computed Tomography is generally used to identify anatomical features of patient jaws that
needs implant therapy. However, some problems should be considered such as radiation exposure and
impossible of real-time display. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a real-time display technique,
which is characterized by no contact, no invasion and no radiation exposure to realize images. The aim
of this study was to investigate the potential for real-time display of OCT to image implant sockets.
To exclude the influence of blood in sockets and obtain clean images, a prototype glass probe was
produced. Firstly, the glass probe and OCT were tested their ability to take images of thin bone using
human dry skull. Secondly we applied them to explore implant socket that was prepared in use
of crestal approach sinus lifting. As a result, real-time images of thin bone in human dry skull were
acquired with the glass probe and OCT. In addition, we identified the bottom of an implant socket
through the glass probe, in the case of crestal approach for sinus augmentation. However, images were
not adequately acquired, when remaining teeth or surrounding bone obstructed the correct positioning
of OCT apparatus. In order to expand indications, more improvements of OCT attachment should be
needed.
