Case Report
Presurgical Cone Beam Computed Tomography
Bone Quality Evaluation for Predictable Immediate Implant
Placement and Restoration in Esthetic Zone
Corina Marilena Cristache
Faculty of Midwifery and Medical Assisting, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy,
8 Blvd Eroilor Sanitari, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Correspondence should be addressed to Corina Marilena Cristache; corinacristache@gmail.com
Received 29 October 2016; Revised 17 January 2017; Accepted 1 February 2017; Published 22 February 2017
Academic Editor: Yuk-Kwan Chen
Copyright © 2017 Corina Marilena Cristache. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
Despite numerous advantages over multislice computed tomography (MSCT), including a lower radiation dose to the patient,
shorter acquisition times, afordable cost, and sometimes greater detail with isotropic voxels used in reconstruction, allowing
precise measurements, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is still controversial regarding bone quality evaluation. Tis
paper presents a brief review of the literature on accuracy and reliability of bone quality assessment with CBCT and a case report
with step-by-step predictable treatment planning in esthetic zone, based on CBCT scans which enabled the clinician to evaluate,
depending on bone volume and quality, whether immediate restoration with CAD-CAM manufactured temporary crown and
fapless surgery may be a treatment option.
1. Introduction
Nowadays, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) sys-
tems replaced multislice computed tomography (MSCT) for
dental treatment and planning due to many advantages
ofered, including a lower radiation dose to the patient,
shorter acquisition times [1, 2], afordable cost, better res-
olution, and sometimes greater details [3, 4]. CBCT uses
isotropic voxels and, as a result, measurements are precise and
considered 1 : 1; therefore study models and 3D printing or
milling surgical templates can be fabricated with great accu-
racy [5]. Despite these preference factors, the reliability,
consistency, and accuracy of CT numbers derived from
CBCT imaging systems in bone quality evaluation remain
controversial [6]. Terefore gray values resulting from the
CBCT scan are referred to as voxel values (VVs) and not HU.
Te imprecision of the intensity values of CBCT systems is
commonly attributed to diferences in characteristics of the
devices (kVp, mA, exposure time), the imaging parameters
(voxel size), and the position or feld of view (FOV) of the
area being evaluated [7, 8].
Several studies [6–9] performed on homogenous phan-
toms and nonhomogenous materials (similar to human
tissues) using diferent CBCT scanners demonstrated linear
correlation between CBCT gray scale and HU.
Other studies [10–13] focused on investigating the rela-
tion between bone characteristics obtained from CBCT
scan and primary stability of the implants found a direct
correlation between VVs, insertion torque value (ITV), and
implant stability quotient (ISQ).
Moreover, Gonz´ alez-Garc´ ıa and Monje [14] were the frst
authors to report that a strong positive correlation was
present between radiological bone density (RBD) assessed by
CBCT and bone density assessed by micro-CT (considered
“gold-standard” for evaluating bone morphology) at the site
of dental implants in the native maxillary bones. Tey also
stated that preoperative estimation of density values by CBCT
was a reliable tool to objectively determine bone density.
Based on the previous experience by Gonz´ alez-Garc´ ıa
[14], his group also supported later the use of CBCT as
preoperative tool for implant treatment planning because it
Hindawi
Case Reports in Dentistry
Volume 2017, Article ID 1096365, 8 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1096365