Comparison of Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Orthopantomography with Direct Ridge Mapping for Pre-Surgical Planning to Place Implants in Cadaveric Mandibles: An Ex-Vivo Study

Implant treatment is today a common and most widely accepted prosthetic therapy worldwide. The quality and quantity of the bone available at the anticipated implant site is of prime importance. Accurate measurement of alveolar bone and adjacent anatomic structures are of paramount importance in implant insertion. Proper pre-surgical assessment requires precise radiographic visualization of anatomic structures and pathologic conditions. However, the concern for radiation exposure has also grown. A total of 15 partially or completely edentulous human cadaveric mandibles were used which were further subdivided into three further groups for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), orthopantomography (OPG), and direct measurements (DM). Mandibles were prepared for each sample and subjected to radiographs according to the respective techniques, and radiographic measurements were done using the appropriate software. The cadaveric mandibles were then sectioned, and the actual measurements were done using a digital vernier caliper. Analysis of variance test revealed that there was no significant difference among the three different measurements techniques. A sizable portion of the CBCT measurements with respect to width showed slight overestimation when compared to DMs. There were no statistically significant differences found between CBCT, OPG, and DM when height was taken into consideration.