PURPOSE: To evaluate the degree of accuracy of DentaScan reformatted images of the maxillary sinus and periapical, periodontal lesions and to clarify the usefulness of the reconstructed 3-dimensional images to the dental clinical aspects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 33 sides of maxillae of the hemi-sectioned Korean heads were used in this study. Periapical radiographs, computed tomography and DentaScan reformatted cross-sectional images were taken for the radiographic evaluation of the peiapical and peiodontal lesions of the maxillary teeth and inferior wall of maxillary sinus. RESULTS: Compared the degree of accuracy and findings of dental and periapical pathoses on the intraoral radiographs and DentaScan reformatted images with the cross-sectioned specimens, the DentaScan reformatted cross-sectional images were more accurate and more effective than the intraoral radiography with a viewpoint of the detection of dental and periapical pathoses. CONCLUSION: Comparing the lesions of specimens with intraoral radiographies and DentaScan reformatted images, the dental and periodontal pathoses and topographical structures were more clearly observed in the DentaScan reformatted images, providing the possibility of more applications of reformatted images to clinical dentistry.
Dentistry ; Head ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Radiography ; Tooth

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of the vertical tube shift from a panoramic film and a periapical film to localize unerupted maxillary incisors and supernumeraries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The total of 103 displaced maxillary incisors or embedded supernumeraries were examined in this study. The vertical tube shift technique with panoramic and periapical radiography by normal projection taken and compared to localize the position of the embedded maxillary incisors or supernumeraries by a radiologist and 5 general dentists. The gold standard used for the radiographic comparisons was the true position of the embedded tooth as confirmed by horizontal tube shift technique using three periapical radiographs. The general dentist examiners were instructed on the use of the modified acronym "SLDOBU" by the radiologist as it pertains to panoramic radiographs as the principle of vertical tube shift. RESULTS: All of the embedded maxillary incisors and supernumeraries were successfully located using the vertical tube shift from a panoramic and a maxillary anterior periapical radiograph by the radiologist and 5 general dentists. CONCLUSION: The use of a panoramic film with a periapical film combination for a vertical tube shift can be useful to localize unerupted maxillary incisors and supernumeraries.
Dentists ; Humans ; Incisor* ; Maxilla ; Radiography ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Tooth ; Tooth, Impacted

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is an uncommon skeletal disorder in which normal bone is replaced by abnormal fibro-osseous tissue. Mainly, FD is found in children, and by adulthood it usually becomes quiescent. Our case showed FD of more than 14-year duration in the left maxilla. Our evaluation was that growth ceased in adulthood and had achieved the static stage. Because FD cases in elderly patients are rarely reported, we hereby present a monostotic FD case in a 65-year-old female. We presented sequential radiographic images and scintigraphic images of this case, and combined them with a literature review that emphasized the progression of the disease.
Aged* ; Child ; Female* ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Monostotic ; Humans ; Maxilla* ; Radiography

PURPOSE: To evaluate the reliability of measurements in spiral tomography through assessing the visibility of the alveolar crest and the measurements between the alveolar crest and other anatomic structures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 110 spiral tomograms of the jaws were taken by Scanora X-ray unit from the patients. The visibility of the alveolar crests was estimated by 3 observers and classified as clearly visible, questionable visibility, or not visible. 3 observers measured the distance between the alveolar crest and the reference points of anatomic structures. The measurements were repeated 2 weeks later. RESULTS: 52.9% of alveolar crests on upper jaws and 61.5% of alveolar crests on lower jaws were visible. The interobserver and intraobserver agreements on the visibility were low. The mean ranges of the measurements were 1.39 mm (SD = 1.37 mm) on maxilla and 1.03 mm (SD = 1.01 mm) on mandible in the interobserver evaluation. The interobserver variance was greater than the intraobserver variance in the measurements of distance. CONCLUSION: Spiral tomography showed a relatively low reliability in the visibility and measurements of the alveolar crest.
Dental Implants ; Humans ; Jaw ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Radiography, Dental ; Radiography, Dental, Digital ; Tomography, X-Ray

Surgical intervention in the posterior maxillary region requires detailed knowledge of maxillary sinus anatomy and the possible anatomical variations. This study evaluated the incidence, location of maxillary sinus septa by using radiographic (panoramic radiography and computed tomography) findings and comparison of panoramic radography with CT in antral anatomical variation. This study was based on data from 70 sinuses in partial dentate maxilla. The sample consisted of 61 patients(25 women and 36 men, with ages ranging between 19 and 77 years and a mean age of 49.4+/-11.3 years) who were being treatment-planned to receive implant-supported restorations. First, the panoramic images were examined for the presence of antral septa by radiologist and examiner who don't know about CT findings. And incidence of antral septa was evaluated using an axial plane of CT image. The incidence of septa was compared between panoramic radiography and CT. The accuracy of the incidence was compared between radiologists and dentists. A total of 20 septa were found in 70 sinuses on CT image and the prevalence of one or more septa per sinus was found to be 28.6%. The assumed incidence of septa on panoramic radiography was 27.6%+/-2.2% in radiologist and 31.9%+/-5.8% in dentists. Erroneous diagnosis rate was 11.42% in radiologist and 15.96% in dentists. 40% of antral septa were located in the anterior(premolar) region, 30% of septa were located in the middle(first molar) and posterior(second molar) region separately. Prior to implant placement, it seems appropriate to consider panoramic radiography as a standard radiographic examination and periapical radiographs may be used to complete the findings in regions not sharply depicted in the panoramic radiograph. And cross-sectional imaging should be used in sites with severe bone loss and close proximity of the maxillary sinus.
Dentists ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Prevalence ; Radiography ; Radiography, Panoramic

PURPOSE: To compare the accuracy of digital subtraction images acquired by two different methods different in positioning four reference points for geometrical standardization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 36 digital radiographic images of 6 volunteers were taken at the areas of the incisor, premolar, and molar of both the maxilla and mandible using the Digora system. Each image was moved 4 mm vertically and horizontally. Four oral and maxillofacial radiologists performed digital subtraction radiography between the paired images before and after movement using Emago (Oral Diagnostic Systems, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and Sunny (Biomedisys Co., Seoul, Korea). The standard deviation of the internal gray value in Region of Interest (ROI) was statistically analyzed between the two programs using the paired t-test. RESULTS: The standard deviation of pixel gray values from the digital subtraction images using the Sunny program were lower than that of the Emago program (p<0.05). All observers showed significant differences between each other when the Sunny program was used (p<0.05), but one observer showed a significantly higher score than other observers when they used Emago (p<0.05). The standard deviations of premolar area from both Sunny and Emago programs were significantly higher than those of anterior and molar regions (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The subtracted images using the Sunny program were more accurate and sensitive than those taken using the Emago program.
Bicuspid ; Incisor ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Molar ; Radiography* ; Radiography, Dental, Digital ; Seoul ; Subtraction Technique ; Volunteers

OBJECTIVE: To explore more concise and unified forensic identification indexes for people with none dental disease in digital orthopantomogram. METHODS: To select randomly 170 digital orthopantomogram with none dental disease. Then to select indexes for full dentition patterns and dental alignment patterns according to the dental physiological variations and the characters of dental alignment respectively. Finally diversity of the indexes would be evaluated by statistical analysis. RESULTS: The group with none dental disease had 74 kinds of full dentition pattern in 170 samples, thus its diversity was 43.53%. The group had 129 kinds of dental alignment pattern, thus its diversity was 75.88%. The group had 150 kinds of full dentition/dental alignment pattern, thus its diversity was 88.24%. CONCLUSION The diversity of the full dentition pattern was not very good. So the full dentition coding was not very effective when it was used solely. The diversity of dental alignment pattern was good. So the method of dental alignment coding could be used in the maxillofacial forensic identification. If the group was coded by the full dentition and dental alignment pattern at the same time, its diversity was better than any single pattern. So the method would be valuable in forensic identification.
Dentition ; Forensic Dentistry ; Humans ; Mandible/diagnostic imaging* ; Maxilla/diagnostic imaging* ; Radiography, Dental, Digital ; Radiography, Panoramic/methods*

Mechanical removals in decayed teeth have been performed using drill and sharp hand instruments. These methods have some disadvantages such as pain, local anesthesia and overextended cavities. Therefore chemo-mechanical excavation of dentin carious lesions has been introduced. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of traditional mechanical methods using burs and chemo-mechanical methods (Carisolv) of caries dentin. Mechanical caries removal was carried with low speed round bur. Chemo-mechanical caries excavation was performed with Carisolv (Medi-team), using the Carisolv hand instruments. The mean time to remove caries with two different methods was evaluated and the data analyzed with SPSS software (ver 11.5) by t-test (p < 0.05). For histomorphometry of caries removal were also carried with mechanical or chemo-mechanical (Carisolv) methods from 20 extracted caries permanent molars. Complete caries removal was verified with a #23 sharp explorers, Caries Detector (Kuraray Co. Japan), and standard apical radiography. 1. Chemo-mechanical method was taken more times than mechanical method (1.5 fold) (p < 0.05). 2. Excavation for caries took more time for molar lesion than premolar lesion, and the least time was taken to remove the caries in incisor lesion (p < 0.05). 3. There were no significant differences to remove the caries between the maxilla and mandible (p > 0.05). 4. The remaining carious dentin was detected after the chemo-mechanical removal of the carious dentin, and no smear layer were seen after the mechanical and chemo-mechanical removal of the carious dentin.
Anesthesia, Local ; Bicuspid ; Dental Caries ; Dentin* ; Hand ; Incisor ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Molar ; Radiography ; Smear Layer ; Tooth

OBJECTIVETo compare the inclinations of third molars of patients treated orthodontically with and without premolar extractions.

METHODSRecords of 37 first premolar extraction patients and 32 nonextraction patients were examined. The pretreatment and posttreatment panoramic radiographs were analyzed. The angles were measured between the long axis of the third molar and the occlusal plane and between the long axis of the third molar and the long axis of the second molar. Changes in third molar angulations from pretreatment to posttreatment for two groups were compared by Mann-Whitney U-test.

RESULTSThere were statistically significant difference between the extraction and nonextraction groups in the median angle formed by the long axis of third molar angulation relative to the occlusal plane (P<0.05) and the second molar (P<0.05) in mandible but not in maxillary. In the extraction group, at the end of the orthodontic treatment, the mandibular third molars showed more uprighting than did the maxillary third molars.

CONCLUSIONOrthodontic treatment involving premolar extractions improves mandibular third molar angulations.

Bicuspid ; Dental Occlusion ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Molar ; Molar, Third ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Tooth Extraction

PURPOSE: To evaluate the precision of measurements taken of dental implants in bucco-lingually sectioned views of the maxilla by linear tomograms of the panorama and to assess the visibility of the inferior wall of the maxillary sinus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty sites prepared with implants of gutta percha cone in the sockets of the upper premolars and molars of 10 dry skulls were radiographically examined using linear tomograms of panorama, and scanned coronally and axially by computed tomography. The differences in mm between the measurements in bucco-lingually sectioned images of maxillary alveolar bone and the true length and width of the implanted gutta percha cones were compared as mean values (mean) and standard deviations (SD) for each radiographic technique. Linear tomography of panorama was compared with computed tomography for visualization of the relationship between the inferior wall of maxillary sinus and the end of each implant. RESULTS: The deviations between the actual implant length and the measured values taken from the linear tomograms (0.44 +/-0.39 mm) was significantly less than the measured values from the multiplanar reconstructed images of the axially scanned computed tomogram (1.21+/-0.90 mm). There was statistically significant difference (p< 0.05) between two techniques in the differences between the measurements and true implant length. The relationship of the inferior border of maxillary sinus with end of implant was worse identified with the linear tomogram of panorama (68%) than the multiplanar reconstructed image of axially scanned computed tomogram (99%). CONCLUSION: We could not find any differences in the accuracy of length measurement between the linear tomogram of panorama and computed tomogram, but computed tomogram allowed for a better visualization of the inferior wall of the maxillary sinus than the linear tomogram.
Bicuspid ; Dental Implants ; Gutta-Percha ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Molar ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Skull ; Tomography, X-Ray