Development of a clinically applicable tool for bone density assessment.

Objectives: To assess the accuracy and reliability of new software for radiodensitometric evaluations.

Methods: A densitometric tool developed by MevisLab was used in conjunction with intraoral radiographs of the premolar region in both in vivo and laboratory settings. An aluminum step wedge was utilized for comparison of grey values.

Image quality vs radiation dose of four cone beam computed tomography scanners.

Objectives: To evaluate image quality by examining segmentation accuracy and assess radiation dose for cone beam CT (CBCT) scanners.

Methods: A skull phantom, scanned by a laser scanner, and a contrast phantom were used to evaluate segmentation accuracy. The contrast phantom consisted of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cylinder with cylindrical inserts of air, bone and PMMA.

Comparison between effective radiation dose of CBCT and MSCT scanners for dentomaxillofacial applications.

Objectives: To compare the effective dose levels of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for maxillofacial applications with those of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT).

Study Design: The effective doses of 3 CBCT scanners were estimated (Accuitomo 3D, i-CAT, and NewTom 3G) and compared to the dose levels for corresponding image acquisition protocols for 3 MSCT scanners (Somatom VolumeZoom 4, Somatom Sensation 16 and Mx8000 IDT). The effective dose was calculated using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs), placed in a Rando Alderson phantom, and expressed according to the ICRP 103 (2007) guidelines (including a separate tissue weighting factor for the salivary glands, as opposed to former ICRP guidelines).

Comparative study of image quality for MSCT and CBCT scanners for dentomaxillofacial radiology applications.

The image quality of four cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanners dedicated for dentomaxillofacial imaging and one multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) scanner was compared. For the MSCT scanner, a clinical and a low-dose protocol for oral indications were evaluated. The image quality was assessed by dedicated software that allows an automated analysis of accuracy measurements and evaluation of metal artefacts on two image quality phantoms.

Comparative localized linear accuracy of small-field cone-beam CT and multislice CT for alveolar bone measurements.

Objectives: To compare the accuracy of cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) and multislice CT (MSCT) for linear jaw bone measurements.

Study Design: An ex vivo formalin-fixed human maxilla was imaged with both CBCT (Accuitomo 3D; Morita, Kyoto, Japan) and MSCT (4-slice Somatom VolumeZoom and 16-slice Somatom Sensation 16; Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). The MSCT images were reconstructed using different reconstruction filters to optimize bone visualization (U70u and U90u for VolumeZoom, H30s and H60s for Sensation 16).