Ultrasound imaging of dental implants.

Accurate measurement of soft tissue thickness is needed prior to dental implant placement and prior to surgical uncovering of the implant. Ultrasonography has many potential advantages for use in dental implant surgery, but has not yet been made suitable for clinical use. A 2D ultrasound imaging system and a mechanical positioning system were used to scan dental implants embedded in a porcine jaw, covered by soft tissue, submerged in a water tank. Results indicated that ultrasound can be used to accurately detect, locate, and measure dental implant fixtures and measure the thickness of the overlying soft tissue in an ex vivo environment.