Novel digital technique for assessing circumferential peri-implant bone height.

Objective: To introduce a novel digital technique for precise assessment of peri-implant bone heights, enhancing accuracy and objectivity in dental implantology research.

Methods: This study utilized digital intraoral scans and digitized impressions obtained during implant exposure surgery, combined with computer-aided design (CAD) software, to measure peri-implant bone heights accurately during flap-raising procedures. The peri-implant bone measurements were quantified circumferentially and validated through a comparative analysis of intraoral and extraoral scans.

Results: The technique demonstrated high precision, with a strong correlation (ICC = 0.902) between bone heights determined from intraoral and extraoral scans, highlighting minimal deviations and similar measurement outcomes. This approach enables comprehensive circumferential data and surface area measurements of peri-implant bone levels.

Conclusion: The proposed digital technique provides an objective, reliable method for peri-implant bone height assessment, offering precise, reproducible data that addresses the limitations of traditional probing and conventional imaging methods. This technique has broad applicability in dental implantology research, particularly for assessing peri-implant bone levels when a flap is raised.