A tool to achieve correct and precise measurements for oral implant planning and simulation

Most software systems for oral implantology are based on a multi-view approach, often accompanied with a 3D rendered model. A more integrated and realistic 3D approach for implant surgery is desirable, in order to gain a deep and sure knowledge of patient´s anatomy before inserting the implants, thus reducing the risk of damaging surrounding structures. We present a 3D software system where computer graphic techniques have been used to create a smooth and user-friendly 3D environment to work upon for oral implant planning and simulation. Interpolation of the axial slices is used to produce a continuous radiographic volume and to get a isotropic voxel, in order to achieve a correct work context. Freedom of choosing, arbitrarily, during the planning phase, the best cross-sectional plane for achieving correct measurements is obtained through interpolation and texture generation. Correct orientation of the planned implants is also easily computed, by exploiting a radiological mask with radio-opaque markers, worn by the patient during the Computed Tomography (CT) scan. Precision in measures was validated by considering different scans of a dried human partially edentulous mandible, which was scanned several times, with different angular orientations. Precision achieved outperforms usual DentaScan multi-view approaches, and it is comparable with or better than that obtained by the DentalVox tool (from 0.16% to 0.71% error in measures).