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Radiographic Imaging Use Across Stages of Implant-Supported Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Single-Center Study
Emanuel-Adrian Bratu1, Ralph-Alexandru Erdelyi2, Sergiu-Manuel Antonie1
1Clinic of Implant Supported Restorations, "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania.
Abstract:
Background/Objectives: Radiographic examinations are used at several stages of implant-supported rehabilitation, but patient-level utilization across an entire treatment pathway is not well described. This study mapped the use of panoramic radiography (OPG), cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and intraoral radiography across six analytical treatment stages in one clinical center. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 50 consecutive adult patients with completed implant-supported rehabilitation and complete clinical and radiographic documentation from 2019 to 2025. Examination counts were summarized by modality and stage. Within-patient differences across stages were evaluated using the Friedman test. Results: The mean numbers of examinations per patient were 6.26 ± 3.11 for OPG, 2.72 ± 2.12 for CBCT, and 2.66 ± 3.43 for intraoral radiography. OPG was used throughout the pathway and was most frequent during prosthetic evaluation. CBCT was concentrated in the initial assessment and surgical stages, whereas intraoral radiography was concentrated during restorative and endodontic preparation and was not recorded during follow-up. Conclusions: The three imaging modalities showed different distributions across the retrospectively de-fined treatment stages. These findings describe imaging utilization in one institution and should not be interpreted as validation of a universal protocol or as evidence that the observed examination pattern was clinically optimal. Prospective multicenter studies incorporating examination-level indications, diagnostic yield, patient-specific dose, and clinical outcomes are required.