An illustrative study of the role of tomograms for the placement of dental implants.

Before dental implants are placed, an evaluation of a presurgical bone site with tomograms will reveal information not available from panoramic or periapical radiographs. This article illustrates the importance of making tomograms before the placement of dental implants to determine the actual height, width, inclination, and undercut of alveolar bone; the shape, cortication, and irregularities of crestal alveolar bone; the density of alveolar bone; the relative location of anatomical landmarks, such as mandibular canal, maxillary sinus, nasal fossa, incisive canal, submandibular gland fossa, etc.; the bucco-lingual view of dental pathosis; the bucco-lingual evaluation of sinus graft following sinus-lift surgery; and the evaluation of surgically placed dental implants.