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.
