Noise-optimized cone-beam computed tomographic imaging of different post materials with multiple settings: A...

Area of Science:

• Dental Imaging
• Radiology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Accurate visualization of endodontic posts is crucial for diagnosis.
• Metal artifacts in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) can obscure details.
• Optimizing imaging parameters is necessary to improve image quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of different post materials on contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR).
• To assess the influence of various CBCT imaging settings and metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithms on CNR.
• To determine optimal imaging parameters for visualizing teeth with posts.

Main Methods:

• Forty single-rooted teeth with four different post materials were scanned using a Planmeca ProMax 3D Max.
• Scans were performed at varying kilovoltage peak (kVp), MAR levels, and voxel sizes.
• Image analysis using ImageJ software calculated CNR; effective dose was also determined.

Main Results:

• Higher CNR was observed in the middle root third at 96 kVp, 200 μm voxel size, and medium/high MAR.
• Gold posts exhibited the lowest mean CNR; other materials showed no significant differences.
• All tested factors significantly influenced mean CNR (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• A combination of low resolution (200 μm voxel size), medium MAR, and 96 kVp yielded the highest CNR and image quality.
• These settings improved visualization of teeth with post materials using the Planmeca ProMax.
• This optimized protocol also resulted in one of the lowest effective doses.