Comparison of beam hardening artifacts in dental implants scans made by two cone beam CT and spiral CT machines

Abstract

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an alternative to a CT scan in dental treatments. Metal used in dentistry prone to production artifacts due to beam hardening phenomenon. Since CT and CBCT images production principles are the same, these artifacts can be seen in the images of both imaging systems. The aim of this study was to compare the beam hardening artifacts between NewTom VG, Planmeca Promax 3D Max with Somatom Sensation 64-Slice CT. Materials and methods: An implant drilling model was used in the present study. The implants (Dentis) were placed in the canine, premolar and molar areas. Identical images were evaluated by three radiologists. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare mean values when there was a statistical significance (P<0.05). Results: The results showed significant difference between three Scanner (P=0.001).NewTom VG had the maximum resolution and Planmeca Promax had the lowest resolution. Conclusion: Given the high quality of the images produced by NewTom VG and the lower does and costs in comparison to CT, the use of the images of this scanner in dental procedures is recommended, especially in patients with extensive restorations, multiple prostheses and previous implants.