Image processing tools for dental applications.

Digital image processing has seen a wide variety of applications in dental radiography. Examples of operations from any of the fundamental classes can be found in the literature, and the increasing role of digital technology in dental imaging will promote new developments and clinical applications. Further progress is not limited by a lack of available image processing tools; rather, improvement of our understanding of the various components of diagnostic imaging will facilitate the meaningful use of new imaging technologies in dentistry. Image processing cannot be separated from other aspects of the diagnostic imaging chain. Its diagnostic value fundamentally depends on image acquisition as well as on aspects of vision and cognition. If used properly, image processing can help to improve diagnostic outcomes and provide insight into other aspects of the imaging process that may be limiting the diagnostic yield. Although novelty is still a powerful force driving some scientific endeavors, advances in dental imaging will be based on the purposeful, goal-oriented development and application of new technology. Specifications for useful image processing operations need to be defined with the diagnostic problem in mind as well as the final outcome for the patient.