Abstract
In postoperative diagnostic imaging of dental implant treatment, intraoral radiography is most frequently used. However, bone resorption on the buccal or lingual side of a dental implant may not be evaluated using this technique. Tomography can detect bone resorption surrouding the dental implant.
The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of cross-sectional tomography using a panoramic machine in postoperative diagnostic imaging of dental implants.
Six patients were examined in this study.Panoramic radiography and cross-sectional radiography were performed in the sites of 15 dental implants.
Bone resorption surrounding the dental implant was evaluated in each radiograph.
Then obstructive shadows from the neighboring dental implants were observed in cross-sectional tomograms. Moreover, the treatment outcome of the dental implants with bone resorption was investigated.
The results were as follows:
Bone resorption was observed in 7 of 15 sites by panoramic radiography. On cross-sectional tomograms, bone resorption could be evaluated buccolingually. Moreover, bone resorption was noted on only cross-sectional tomography at two dental implant sites.
Although the images of objective dental implants on cross-sectional tomography were superimposed obstructive shadows from neighboring dental implants in 12 of 15 dental implant sites, they did not seriousiy impede the diagnoses.
In the anterior region, all obstructive shadows were located on the lingual side of the objective dental implant.
Six of 9 dental implants with bone resorption on radiography were removed after diagnostic imaging.
In conclusion, it is believed that cross-sectional tomography using a panoramic machine is useful in the postoperative diagnostic imaging of dental implant treatment.
