Purpose: To assess the bone quality of the pre-implanted mandible through an approach of the optical density after examination of the pantomography and analyze the feasibility.
Methods: Thirty males and 30 females who underwent the procedure of dental implantation were examined with the pantomography and CT scan before the procedure. The films were scanned into computerized bitmap files. Four areas of interest were selected. The mandibular angle, the posterior part of the mandibular body, the anterior part of the mandibular body and the pre-implanted area. The mean optical densities of these four areas were measured with the software ImagePro Plus. The mean optical densities of the pre-implanted area of three groups underwent Kruskal-Wallis test and LSD-t test. Then the CT values of these four areas were measured with the software SimPlant after data importation. The liner correlation analysis was carried out between the mean optical densities and CT values for the four areas of interest.
Results: The mean optical density of the pre-implant area was lower than that of the mandibular angle and the posterior part of the mandible body. There were significant differences between the means of optical density of the pre-implanted regions of different groups. There was a liner correlation between the optical densities and CT values of the same areas of interest.
Conclusions: The approach of optical density analysis is able to classify the different divisions of mandible and its results bear the same fidelity with the SimPlant with CT scan. This approach is effective and feasible.