Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the 3-dimensional computed tomogra-phy image (3D-CT) for diagnosis of the morphol-ogy of intrabony defects in periodontal patients.
Thirty-eight tooth surfaces of 5 periodontal patients, (2 female and 3 male) were selected. The intrabony defects were confirmed by oral photogra-phy during a flap operation. Ten periodontists excluding the flap operator diagnosed them by the 3 D-CT, (CT method), radiography only, (R method), and radiography plus pocket probing (R+P method). The items of diagnosis were presence or absence of intrabony defects on the buccal and lingual aspect, interproximal aspect, and buccal and lingual bony wall in interproximal intrabony defects. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The results were as follows: 1) The diagnosis of the intrabony defects on the buccal and lingual surface by the CT method was signifficantly more accurate than by the R method, but equal to the R+ P method. 2) The accuracy of diagnosis of the interproximal intrabony defects was almost equal among the three methods. 3) The buccal and lin-gual bony wall in interproximal intrabony defects was diagnosed more accurately by the CT method than the other two methods. From the above points of view, it is considered that 3D-CT is effi-cient in diagnosing the intrabony defects of alveolar bone.
Thus, 3D-CT may have great ability to diagnose the intrabony defects of alveolar bone.
