Using acrylic customized X-ray positioning stents for long-term follow-up studies

Long-term assessment of teeth, dental implants, and their corresponding structures is vital to obtain more data concerning the achievement or disappointment of different treatment modalities in clinical situations.

This report aimed to verify the usage of customized X-ray positioning stents suitable for long-term follow-up studies.

Two acrylic stents were compared. An X-ray positioning device was built by the incorporation of a bite piece within an acrylic hard nightguard stent and a conventional acrylic film holder were fabricated for 20 patients. Four radiographs were taken of each patient (two of each film holder) at the initial time and after 3 months. Specific linear measurements of the premolar diameter (CEJ width) and the height between the CEJ and the apex were made of all of the radiographs to determine the reproducibility and accuracy of the procedure.

The customized X-ray positioning positing stent showed a slight increase in the mean difference of the measurements of the value of the real ratio, demonstrating that the measurements were precise and reliable images of the premolars. The acrylic film holder showed a significant difference in the measurements of the value of the real ratio, indicating unreliable images of the premolars.

The device provided reliable linear measurements and produced reproducible images suitable for studies depending on the follow-up analysis.