Diagnostic Imaging In Implant Dentistry

Diagnostic imaging is an indispensable component of implant treatment planning. The dental practioner today has a wide array of diagnostic tools at his disposal. Until the late 1980s, conventional radiographic techniques such as intraoral, cephalometric and panoramic views have been the accepted standard. Since then, developments in cross-sectional imaging techniques, such as spiral tomography and reformatted computerized tomograms, have become increasingly popular in the preoperative assessment and planning of implant patients. Additionally, proprietary software has become available that allows clinicians to manipulate digital images on a computer. Thus, a plethora of imaging techniques is currently available for pre surgical and post surgical implant examination The clinician should carefully weigh the pros and cons of each modality and choose the particular technique. There is no single modality which is considered to be ideal for all phases of site selection and fixture evaluation ; rather a combination is advisable. This book aims to summarize the evolutionary journey of implant imaging.