THREE-DIMENSIONAL DENTAL X-RAY IMAGING BY COMBINATION OF PANORAMIC AND PROJECTION DATA

A novel three-dimensional dental X-ray imaging method is introduced, based on hybrid data collected with a dental panoramic device. Such a device uses geometric movement of the X-ray source and detector around the head of a patient to produce a panoramic image, where all teeth are in sharp focus and details at a distance from the dental arc are blurred. A digital panoramic device is reprogrammed to collect two-dimensional projection radiographs. Two complementary types of data are measured from a region of interest: projection data with a limited angle of view, and a panoramic image. Tikhonov regularization is applied to these data in order to produce three-dimensional reconstructions. The algorithm is tested with simulated data and real-world in vitro measurements from a dry mandible. Reconstructions from limited-angle projection data alone do provide the dentist with three-dimensional information useful for dental implant planning. Furthermore, adding panoramic data to the process improves the reconstruction precision in the direction of the dental arc. The presented imaging modality can be seen as a cost-effective alternative to a full-angle CT scanner.