Artifacts: The downturn of CBCT image

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is widely adopted in dentistry for diagnosis and treatment planning.
• CBCT imaging is susceptible to artifacts, which are image quality degradations.
• These artifacts can render CBCT images diagnostically unusable and introduce non-existent structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the various types of artifacts encountered in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of CBCT artifacts for dental professionals.
• To emphasize the importance of artifact identification for optimizing image quality.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on CBCT artifacts in dentistry.
• Categorization and description of common artifact types.
• Discussion of artifact sources, including patient motion and imaging processes.

Main Results:

• Artifacts represent discrepancies between the reconstructed image and the actual subject.
• Common causes include patient motion, image capture, and reconstruction processes.
• Artifacts can significantly compromise the diagnostic value of CBCT scans.

Conclusions:

• Understanding CBCT artifacts is essential for improving image quality in dental applications.
• Identification and mitigation of artifacts are critical for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Further research into artifact reduction techniques is warranted to enhance CBCT utility.