Pilot study: digital subtraction radiography as a tool to assess alveolar bone changes in periodontitis patients under treatment with subantimicrobial doses of doxycycline.
BACKGROUND
Subtle changes in marginal alveolar bone level can be demonstrated using digital subtraction of sequential radiographs.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to evaluate the practical application of geometrically corrected digital subtraction in a clinical study of alveolar bone response to a drug previously shown to inhibit alveolar bone loss.


METHODS
Selected periapical radiographs were acquired with projective standardization of patients with clinical marginal alveolar bone loss. Subsequently, patients received a 6-month regimen of subantimicrobial doxycycline or placebo. Standardized radiographs of the same alveolar regions were acquired after 3 and 6 months, and baseline radiographs were subtracted from these images.


RESULTS
Blinded digital subtraction analysis indicated various levels of marginal bone gain in 3 of the 6 patients in the experimental group, whereas in 3 of the 5 placebo patients the method showed bone loss.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that geometrically corrected digital subtraction possibly agrees with clinical predictors of bone loss severity.
Goren
Arthur D
AD
Department of General Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York-Stony Brook, New York, USA.
Dunn
Stanley M
SM
Wolff
Mark
M
van der Stelt
Paul F
PF
Colosi
Dan C
DC
Golub
Lorne M
LM
D000465:Algorithms; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000379:methods*; D013382:Subtraction Technique
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004318:Doxycycline