DentaScan: a new diagnostic method for evaluating mandibular and maxillary pathology

Although computerized tomography (CT) is valuable for evaluating head and neck pathology, it can be suboptimal when evaluating the presence or extent of mandibular and maxillary involvement by tumor, infection, or other pathology. The presence of dental restoration artifact, CT gantry positioning problems, and the inability to obtain cross-sectional images will diminish the accuracy of standard CT images. A program, termed either DentaScan or multiplanar reformation (CT/MPR), eliminates these problems by processing axial CT scan information to obtain true cross-sectional images and panoramic views of the mandible and maxilla. In this study, DentaScan imagery was used in 26 patients whose mandibles or maxillas were affected by tumor, osteomyelitis, or other pathology. CT scanning with multiplanar reformation proved useful in the precise location, assessment, monitoring, and treatment of various pathologies of the mandible and maxilla. Selected case studies illustrate the therapeutic implications and advantages of this new imaging technique.