Dentistry

Abstract

Dental Identification Using Dental Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Akiko Kumagai, Akira Fujimura and Koji Dewa

In recent years, understanding three-dimensional (3D) structures has become necessary for advanced dental treatments. Therefore, dental cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is considered to be a very effective method. In this study, we evaluated the possibility of using CBCT to identify individuals using dental records. We first conducted CBCT on a dry skull with remaining teeth, restorations and prostheses and confirmed that the highest tube voltage of 90 V and tube current of 2.5 mA optimally detected intraoral restorations and prostheses, maximally inhibiting metal artifact. Thereafter, we performed CBCT of the soft tissue attached to the head of cadavers used for anatomical practice by dental students of our university under the same conditions. Dental charts were produced based on those obtained by visual observation and were compared with the 3D images that were constructed using analytical software. The presence of restorations and prostheses were confirmed, and the 3D morphology, which is difficult to confirm using simple X-ray images, was understood and mostly agreed with the results from visual observation. These results suggested the usefulness of CBCT in the dental examination of dead bodies when opening the mouth is impossible and suggested the possibility of yielding as one of the screening method when investigating unidentified bodies.