Abstract
A panoramic X-ray machine with a function of linear tomography is frequently used in imaging diagnosis of dental implant treatment. However, the angles of the linear tomographic objective planes are automatically determined and can not be adjusted for individual patients.
A direct laser positioning system (DLP system) by which the angles can be manually set in accordance with an optimal tomographic plane for individual patients was developed.
The DLP system consists of three parts, computer software, laser beam units, and accessory tools. The laser beams,which cross each other at right angles, indicated the location and angle of the tomographic objective planes. The accessory tools were fabricated to obtain high reproducibility of accurate positioning during examination.
In this report, the DLP system was introduced and its accuracy in dental implant treatment was evaluated. The accuracy of the DLP system was sufficient for clinical use. Therefore, it was thought that the DLP system promises high quality diagnosis for dental implant treatment.
