Diagnostic accuracy of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for the detection of accessory mental foramina using different devices and imaging modalities

Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent . 2022 Dec 13. doi: 10.11607/prd.5357. Online ahead of print. Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of CBCT for the detection of accessory mental foramina (AMFs) in dry mandibles using two different devices and three different CBCT imaging modalities. A total of 40 dry mandibles were selected to generate corresponding CBCT images, each with three different CBCT imaging modalities, using a ProMax 3D Mid and Veraview X800. The presence, count, location, and diameter of the AMF were measured on both dry mandibles and CBCT scans. Different imaging modalities with the Veraview X800 showed the highest accuracy (97.5%), while low-dose imaging modality with the ProMax 3D Mid exhibited the lowest (93.8%). The most common AMF sites on dry mandibles were anterior-cranial and posterior-cranial, while anterior-cranial was the most frequent on CBCT scans. As for AMF diameter, the mean mesiodistal and vertical diameters on the dry mandibles were 1.89 mm and 1.47 mm respectively, which were higher or equal to the values obtained from CBCT scans. The overall diagnostic accuracy for assessing AMFs exhibited good results, though some caution seems warranted when using a low-dose imaging modality with a large voxel size of 400 μm.