Application of limited cone beam computed tomography to clinical assessment of alveolar bone grafting: a preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the clinical applicability of limited cone beam computed tomography (Dental 3D-CT) for assessment of bone-grafted alveolar cleft.


METHODS
Seventeen bone bridges were examined after alveolar bone grafting in 13 patients with cleft lip and palate. All bone bridges, including cleft-adjacent teeth, were examined by plain radiography and the Dental 3D-CT imaging system.


RESULTS
The plain radiographs showed the approximate condition of the bone bridge and cleft-adjacent teeth. The Dental 3D-CT images clearly showed precise three-dimensional (3D) morphology of the bone bridge, 3D relationships between the bone bridge and the roots of cleft-adjacent teeth, and their periodontal condition. In addition, the conditions surrounding dental implants installed in the bone bridge could be observed three-dimensionally.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the Dental 3D-CT imaging system is suitable for clinical assessment of alveolar bone grafting before and after installation of dental implants or orthodontic treatment of the cleft-adjacent teeth.
Hamada
Yoshiki
Y
First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tsurumi University, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Japan. hamada-y@tsurumi-u.ac.jp
Kondoh
Toshirou
T
Noguchi
Kazuhide
K
Iino
Mitsuyoshi
M
Isono
Hiroaki
H
Ishii
Hiroaki
H
Mishima
Akira
A
Kobayashi
Kaoru
K
Seto
Kanichi
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D015921:Dental Implants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D015921:Dental Implants