Comparison of mesiodistal space measurements of single-implant sites on panoramic and oblique images generated by cone-beam CT

To compare the mesiodistal space measurements of single-implant sites on panoramic and oblique images generated by cone-beam CT (CBCT). CBCT images for 101 single-implant sites of 66 patients referred for pre-surgical radiographic implant planning were selected for the study; 15-mm-thickness panoramic images were reformatted and used for measuring mesiodistal space dimensions. The measurements were repeated and compared with those of thin oblique images (200–300 μ) using Wilcoxon signed rank test. The correlation between measurements in addition to intra-observer agreement was evaluated by Pearson’s correlation coefficients. All mesiodistal space measurements on panoramic and oblique images generated by CBCT were strongly correlated and there were no statistically significant differences between them (P < 0.05). Both panoramic and oblique images generated by CBCT can be used for measuring mesiodistal space dimensions of single-implant sites.