Comparison of two-dimensional orthoradially reformatted computed tomography and panoramic radiography for dental implant treatment planning.

The widespread use of dental implants in partially and completely edentulous patients has brought about a need to preoperatively depict and quantify accurate bone height and contour. A number of conventional intraoral and extraoral radiographic techniques have been used, including the relatively new modality of two-dimensional orthoradially reformatted computed tomography. Despite rapid advances in imaging technology, many clinicians continue to rely on techniques such as panoramic radiography that produce images that distort the jaws nonuniformly. This study compared bone height measurements of jaws made with these two imaging modalities. Nineteen sites in 10 patients were imaged with both techniques and mean bone height was determined for each imaging technique and site. Significant differences were found between mean bone heights measured with the two imaging modalities (p < 0.0005). Situations in which the use of dental implants would be particularly advantageous demonstrated the largest discrepancies, that is, when bone height measurements were less than 15 mm.