[Computed tomography in the study of periodontal disease]

Periodontal disease, an affection of bacterial etiology, causes the destruction of the periodontal tissue. From both the diagnostic and the prognostic points of view, it is extremely important to evaluate the changes occurring in the alveolar bone in patients affected with periodontal disease. The information obtained by conventional radiographic techniques is usually poor due to the overlapping of anatomical structures and to the lack of an axial view of the structures. CT, thanks to millimetrical sections of the dental structures along the planes which parallel the hard palate, allows the evaluation of: 1) the size and the relationship between teeth roots, with no overlapping of anatomical structures; 2) bone thickness; 3) very early bone lesions around the teeth roots. The authors suggest CT as a valuable tool in the study of periodontal disease in its early stage and in the evaluation of advanced lesions, both before treatment and during follow-up, when it is important to check the results of conservative treatment.