Periodontal tissue regeneration therapy using dental CT and a 3D printer

: Cone beam CT (CBCT) can evaluate the three-dimensional morphology of the target sites for diagnosis and the surrounding tissues, and also allows measurement of the distance and angle from the specified sites. Bone defect morphology inferred from dental radiographs may differ from the actual bone defect state during surgery. When performing periodontal tissue regeneration therapy, it is impor-tant to know the exact state of bone loss in advance for ensuring the success of the surgery. Therefore, at our department, it is obligatory to obtain a CBCT image in patients scheduled for periodontal tissue regeneration therapy, prepare a model with a 3D printer, and hold a conference on periodontal tissue regeneration therapy prior to the treatment. We report on the flow of the periodontal tissue regeneration therapy conference in our course and for the two cases in which the therapy was actually undertaken. These cases are of patients with a vertical bone defect. A preoperative conference was held based on the CBCT images of the operation site, 3D models, and clinical protocol data. The 3D model almost reproduced the actual bone defect. For patients undergoing periodontal tissue regeneration therapy, CBCT imaging and preparation of a 3D model with a 3D printer can allow the surgeon to obtain a grasp of the bone defect form at the surgical site in advance and allow a satisfactory conference to be conducted before surgery. Our results indi-cate that the operation can be performed safely and effectively. Conducting a satisfactory conference before surgery is also a useful means for training young dentists and explaining to patients.