CT scan as a radiologic data base for optimum implant orientation.

There are many factors directly related to the longevity of implant osseointegration. Overload has been considered an etiologic factor in implant failure after a prosthesis has been constructed. Optimum implant orientation can be aided by the three-dimensional radiographic data base provided by a CT scan. The reformatted sectional images, when related to each other, facilitate a thorough visualization of the bone topography, sinus and nerve location, and bone density. The fundamentals of the CT imaging and the interrelationship of the cross-sectional, panoramic, and three-dimensional reformatted images are described.