Feasibility of local CT of dental tissues.

Objectives: To prove the feasibility of a local CT system as a method of CT suitable for use in dentistry.

Methods: Using an experimental set-up consisting of an X-ray source, a turntable and a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector connected to a PC, CT scans were made of a single molar and a dry mandible. Slices were reconstructed using filtered backprojection. An experimental comparison was made between a full CT geometry and a local CT geometry.

Results: Horizontal and vertical slices through the mandible were obtained showing the internal structure of a molar and the surrounding bone. The slices show good contrast and details. A computer experiment gave visual evidence that slices obtained by local CT are not substantially different from slices obtained from a full CT set-up with respect to resolution.

Conclusions: Based on the results obtained so far, local CT of dental structures appears to be a promising diagnostic instrument.