[Digital radiographic images comparison with subtraction radiography in bone density evaluation around dental implants]

ABSTRACT

The reduction of alveolar crestal bone density is one of the earlier signs of periimplant disease and precedes the loss of height of the alveolar crest, because of that early detection of the small changes in density is important and lead to the early onset of treatment and increases its success's percentage. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of the direct conventional digital method in detection of density changes around dental implants by the mean value of the gray level of the histogram of the selected area comparing with radiographic subtraction method. Twenty one Ankylos dental implants in the upper and lower jaw were monitored by standardized direct digital periapical radiographs 1 week after surgery and 4 months later. manipulated by radiographic subtraction method through EMAGO software. Control regions C1, C2, C3 and test regions ROI[1], ROI[2] were selected and the radiographic density was obtained by the histogram of these selected areas. This process was carried out in the conventional digital radiographs and radiographic subtraction images. After that statistical analysis were performed. The mean value of bone density change according to the conventional digital method was 11.19 +/- 5.95 and according to the radiographic subtraction method was13.12 +/- 9.36 . and the conventional digital method confirmed its ability because there was no statistically significant difference between the two methods [P>0.05]. Monitoring of peri-implant bone density by the mean gray value of the histogram in a selected area can be assessed either by the radiographic subtraction method or by the conventional digital method: