Accuracy assessment of three-dimensional surface reconstructions of teeth from Cone Beam Computed Tomography scans

Abstract

The use of three-dimensional (3D) models of the dentition obtained from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is becoming increasingly more popular in dentistry. A recent trend is to replace the traditional dental casts with digital CBCT models for diagnosis, treatment planning and simulation. The accuracy of these models was previously assessed through comparing linear physical and radiographical measurements. However, this assessment technique is both observer and landmark dependent. The accuracy of 3D CBCT teeth reconstructions is yet to be reliably measured. To assess the accuracy of 3D CBCT reconstructions of the teeth using a semi-automated and observer-independent method and to assess the influence of field of view (FoV) selection on reconstruction accuracy. Fully dentate upper and lower dry human jaws, placed in a plastic box and immersed in water, were scanned using CBCT with small, medium and large FoV. The teeth were then scanned separately using MicroCT. Cone beam computed tomography and MicroCT 3D teeth models were compared, and mean surface difference was calculated per tooth for each FoV. Mean and (maximum) differences between MicroCT and CBCT were 120 +/- 40 (max. 679) microm, 157 +/- 39 (max. 824) micro and 207 +/- 80 (max. 862) microm for the small, medium and large FoV, respectively. Cone beam computed tomography models were larger than MicroCT because of larger voxel size. Our results indicate that CBCT may provide accurate 3D reconstructions of the teeth that can be useful for some clinical applications.

Assessment of the primary stability of root analog zirconia implants designed using cone beam computed tomography software by means of the Periotest® device: An ex vivo study. A preliminary report

“…8 The results of research of Moin and Al-Rawi proved the increase in surface details of the 3D surface model compared to the original tooth. 5,25 Through CAD/CAM designing many alterations (macroretentions, corrections of the shape) can be added to the RAI. It is also possible to preoperatively design the abutment form or temporary crown.…”

Accuracy of CBCT Measurements of a Human Skull

“…CBCT is now commonly used for a variety of purposes in implantology, dentomaxillofacial surgery, image-guided surgical procedures, orthodontics, periodontics, and endodontics [1,2]. Recently, the use of digital CBCT models has come to replace traditional dental casts in diagnosis, treatment planning, and simulation [3]. With CBCT, multiple single-frame images are acquired by a process of rotational scanning of an X-ray source and a reciprocating 2-D planar X-ray detector-either an amorphous silicon flat panel or an image intensifier/CCD detector.…”

“…Images can be acquired with only one pass or less around the patient's head and are recorded in a cylindrical or spherical volume of data with a field of view (FOV) ranging from 4 to 30 cm. Voxels are isotropic and typically range in size from 0.08 to 0.4 mm 3 . Images can be generated in orientations other than the conventional axial plane through the use of special algorithms that can produce multi-planar, reformatted two-dimensional (2-D), three-dimensional (3-D), and panoramic reconstructions on a personal computer [4][5][6][7].…”

Comparison of two cone beam computed tomography multiplanar reconstruction orientation protocols

“…Also, the voxel size itself has an important influence on the noise in the orthogonal slices: the smaller the voxel size, the greater the noise, but the better the spatial resolution. It is therefore crucial in the future studies to investigate all parameters and their influence on the reconstruction accuracy [34][35][36][37] .…”