Cone beam imaging – an imperative arm in implant planning

Abstract

Recently, Dental implants have taken the dental rehabilitation to another level. Dental implants are highly preferred over other rehabilitation techniques, as they have a more conservative approach with minimal damage to other adjacent structures. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of anatomical variations in maxilla and mandible on CBCT images of patients referred for dental implants. In our study, a total of 102 CBCT images comprising of 60 males & and 42 females with mean age of 50 years & 45 years were analysed. We found that in approximately 50% of the cases, the anterior loop of mental nerve was seen and lingual foramen was identified in the anterior part of the mandible in about 20% cases. Two-dimensional radiographs have been used for a long time as the only diagnostic tool in implant dentistry. However, radiographs may seem to be adequate for patients with wide residual ridges but CBCT effectively brings together prosthetic and surgical considerations which are important for beauty, restoration and prosthetic indices.