Three-dimensional imaging for orthognathic surgery and orthodontic treatment

Abstract

Recent advances in orthognathic surgical techniques and orthodontic treatment, such as the use of dental implants for orthodontic anchorage, bone and tooth transplantation, and intraoral distraction for mandibular lengthening, have led to an increased demand for more advanced diagnostic image information than can be supplied by conventional radiography. In this article, the authors have reviewed several 3D imaging techniques that might be useful in this field. Currently, personal computers are equipped with such high processing speeds that it is easy to process interactively the image data of a complex 3D object and portray its dynamic properties in real-time. The powerful image-rendering capabilities of 3D CT may substitute for conventional radiographic examinations in the near future. Reducing the radiation dose to patients in spiral/helical CT scanning without impairing image quality, however, is a goal that must be achieved as soon as possible.14,19 The limited cone-beam CT system seems to have an advantage because of the reduced radiation dose associated with the image data acquisition in a single rotation of the x-ray tube.1,38 In the meantime, 3D imaging without any exposure to radiation and based on MR, ultrasound, or laser-scanned image data is available to clinicians. The potential clinical applications of 3D imaging in dentistry represent a technologic advance that is rapidly becoming a reality that may far exceed anyone's expectations.