The fine art of measuring
bone and tissue
"Bone density and soft tissue loss can occur throughout the human body—
including the mouth," said Pirkka V. Nummikoski, DDS, associate professor of dental diagnostic science. According to Dr. Nummikoski, standard dental x-rays aren’t much help in determining if a patient is experiencing bone loss—each time an x-ray is made of one particular area, the image angle changes slightly, making comparison of images and diagnosis difficult.
At the Health Science Center, though, Dr. Nummikoski and his colleagues have developed the country’s most technologically advanced imaging techniques for craniofacial elements. Housed in the university’s Longitudinal Radiographic Assessment (LRA) lab, the imaging device has two distinct advantages: (1) determining the level of healing following surgery, by depicting bone density level, and (2) gauging bone height, density and changes around implants. The images may detail the future of implants—if bone loss is indicated the periodontist can work to prevent further bone loss.
