Ultrasound imagery for dental implant diagnosis and treatment planning in a porcine model.

Statement Of Problem: Currently, there is no commercially available method to provide non-invasive, non-ionizing, real-time imaging of the gingival form and bony architecture of implant sites, before, during, and after implant placement.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of 2-dimensional (2-D) ultrasound imaging of soft and hard tissues for implant diagnosis and treatment planning.

Material And Methods: A sector scanning ultrasound system was applied. Five representative clinical features (implant in an edentulous ridge, single implant tooth replacement, implant dehiscence, tooth dehiscence, and mental foramina) were created or identified in each of the 5 porcine jaws, which were then covered with soft tissue and imaged in an acoustic water tank.

Results: All of the 5 model features, in all 5 jaws, were clearly visible with the ultrasound. Most objects were visible over a large range of positions and angles. Each of the features, as well as the soft tissue and bone surfaces, were recognized by specific acoustic signatures, with the same signature recurring for each object type among all 5 of the jaw specimens. All implants were highly reflective and clearly visualized.

Conclusions: A 2-D sector scanning ultrasound system was demonstrated to be capable of imaging representative features for implant treatment planning in a porcine model; these included implants placed in edentulous ridges; implants placed for single tooth replacement; implants with simulated dehiscences; teeth with simulated dehiscences; and mental foramina. Specific acoustic signatures for these features were defined. Qualitative differences between ultrasound and other dental imaging techniques were described.