Effect of Exposure Parameters on Metal Artifacts in Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of tube current, kilovoltage peak (kVp), metal type, and the position of metal objects on metal artifacts in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Materials and Methods: Titanium and cobalt-chromium rods were fabricated and placed in a dry human mandible. Samples were scanned using a Promax 3D CBCT unit with different milli-amperages and kVp. The artifacts induced by metal objects were evaluated using the Image J software in four regions of interest (ROIs) on each image. Results: A higher kVp decreased artifacts of the buccal surface of the rods in 97% of the cases (P=0.046) but did not affect the severity of artifacts between the two metal objects (P>0.05). Increasing the tube current had no effect on metal artifacts in 93% of the cases (P>0.05). Artifacts induced by a cobalt-chromium alloy were more severe than those with titanium (P