Intraoral radiography and dental implant restoration.

The usefulness of IOR has been described along with its limitations when considering implant restorations. One major issue is the alignment of the incident x-rays so that they are consistently perpendicular to the implant body, to provide the most reliable information possible. Other limitations include inconsistencies as a result of the inability to verify the nature and extent of bone around an implant, which is subject to variation as a result of type of bone and site. Where implants are concerned, as a diagnostic tool IOR should be considered as part of a multitude of tests-including probing, mobility, symptoms, and other soft-tissue evaluations. It must be emphasized that IOR cannot be relied upon as being the sole diagnostic test.