Comparison of Image reformation Using Personal Computer with Dentascan Program

This study was performed to demonstrate the method of image reformation of dental implants, using a personal computer with inexpensive software and to compare the images reformatted using the above method with those using Dentascan software. CT axial slices of 5 mandibles of 5 volunteers from GE Highspeed Advantage (GE Medical systems, U.S.A.) were used, Personal computer used for image reformation was PowerWave 604/120 (Power Computing Co, U.S.A.) and software used were Osiris (Univ. Hospital Of Geneva, Switzerland) and Import ACCESS V1.1(Designed Access Co., U.S.A.) for importing CT image and NIH Image 1.58 (NIH, U.S.A.) for image processing. Seven images were selected among the serial reconstructed cross-sectional images produced by Dentascan (DS group). Seven resliced cross-sectional images at the same position were obtained ned at the personal computer (PC group). Regression analysis of the measurements of PC group was done against those of DS group. Measurements of the bone height and width at the reformed cross-sectional images using Mac-compatible computer were highly correlated with those using workstation with Dentascan software (height : r2=0.999, p<0.001, width : p=0.991, p<0.001). So, it is considered that we can use a personal computer with inexpensive software for the dental implant planning, instead of the expensive software and workstation.