The use of ultrasound for the determination of periodontal bone morphology.

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of ultrasound in the measurement of periodontal bone morphology. Four patients scheduled for periodontal surgery were selected for the study. The Ocu-Scan 400 machine was used and adjusted according to the manufacturer's instructions. Teeth involved in the study were measured on the facial aspect at three different points: mesial, midfacial and distal (except one tooth measured only at the mesial point). Two different presurgical measurements were made with the use of ultrasound. The distance between the gingival margin and the crest of alveolar bone was measured during the surgical procedure. No correlation could be made between the different measurements obtained. From the results the following was concluded: measurement of alveolar bone topography with the presently available ultrasound probe is not accurate, and ultrasound measurement is a fast and painless procedure.