[Radiographs for the assessment of bone loss around implants. Exploring the potential]

Twelve per cent of oral implants fail due to the loss of bone within 15 years after implantation. If bone loss is detected early, measures can be taken which increase the success rate of implants. To monitor implants, radiographs are made regularly. Generally, the loss of marginal bone level is measured on the radiographs. An alternative method is based on the subtraction ofradiographs. The authors applied subtraction to non-standardized panoramic radiographs of patients with implants. Bone loss around the implants could be rendered visible, at least on the level of patient groups. For individuals, no accurate method exists to render bone loss around implants visible. For the early recognition of bone loss around implants, intra-oral radiographs are preferred above panoramic radiographs. It is also important to maintain the same exposure time and projection geometry.