Advanced Imaging Modalities of Oral & Maxillofacial Region

Oral radiography was introduced within weeks after the initial discovery of X-radiation and its ability to penetrate human tissues by W.C. Roentgen in 1895 (White and Pharoah 2008). He began the history of diagnostic imaging of the human body, including that of oral and maxillofacial regions. Today the use of X-radiation is an integral part of clinical dentistry. Radiological imaging is needed to determine the presence and extent of diseases, for treatment planning, to monitor disease progression and to assess treatment efficacy. Before radiological imaging can be performed a detailed patient history and clinical examination are needed. The findings can then be used to select the most appropriate type of radiological examination. An array of medical imaging modalities have been developed in recent years and these continue to be developed at a phenomenal rate. Totally new imaging techniques have been introduced, while the resolution and image quality of existing systems are continually being refined and improved.