A comparison of panoramic radiography with computed tomography in the planning of implant surgery.

TLDR

CT scans provide additional presurgical planning advantages by revealing the horizontal dimension, shape of the mandible, and buccolingual location of the inferior alveolar canal. The study compared the accuracy of panoramic radiography and CT in measuring the depth of the mandible at implant sites by assessing the distance between the bony crest and the inferior alveolar canal in ten patients. Distortion was quantified using a metal ball technique for panoramic images and a computer scale for CT, and the true crest‑to‑canal distance was derived from postoperative radiographs based on the known implant lengths. CT scans are more precise, but panoramic radiography is sufficiently accurate for routine clinical purposes.

Abstract

The accuracy of panoramic radiography and computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of depth of the mandible at recipient implant sites was compared by measuring the distance between the edentulous bony crest and the superior border of the inferior alveolar canal in a group of ten patients. Distortion was calculated using the metal ball technique for the panoramic radiographs and the computer scale for the CT scans. The precise distance between the bony crest and inferior alveolar canal was determined from postoperative radiographs from the known length of the implants. It was found that although CT scans are more precise, panoramic radiography is sufficiently accurate for routine clinical purposes. CT scans have, however, an additional advantage in presurgical planning, since they reveal the horizontal dimension and shape of the mandible, and the topography and buccolingual location of the inferior alveolar canal.