Cone beam computed tomography vs. traditional CT in the diagnosis of osteonecrosis of the jaw: report of five cases

The purpose of these cases is to demonstrate the advantages of an alternative approach for the early detection of Osteonecrosis of the Jaws. The authors compared the images provided by Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) with conventional OPT and CT Dentascan, showing the best results of CBCT in diagnosis of disease onset. The researchers examined patients with manifestation or suspicion of ONJ involving upper and/or lower jaw; all were affected with bone metastasis and were treated with biphosphonates. They were subjected to clinical and instrumental examination; images provided by OPT and traditional CT Dentascan were compared with the ones got by CBCT. Quality of CBCT images show a clear superiority compared to the traditional OPT and CT Dentascan images. Two dimension images or three dimension reconstructions at high resolution allow the identification of pathological bone alterations where other examinations were negative or uncertain. For this reason the CBCT can be used as an alternative to traditional CT in patients with diagnosed or suspected ONJ.