Background and Aim: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a valuable imaging modality suitable for analyzing the hard tissue of the maxillofacial region.However, the artifacts caused by some dental treatments may reduce the image quality and lead to misinterpretations.The present study aimed to assess the accuracy of CBCT measurements in the presence of stainless-steel crowns (SSCs).Materials and Methods: This in vitro experimental study was conducted on 4 sheep hemi-mandibles.First, gutta-percha points were placed on the buccal and lingual surfaces of the alveolar ridge, and bone height and thickness were measured with a digital caliper (direct measurement).Then, three CBCT scans were obtained as follows: The first scan was performed without placing the SSCs, as the baseline image; the second scan was performed after placement of one SSC, and the third scan was performed in presence of 3 SSCs.Red wax was used for soft tissue simulation.Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 (alpha=0.05). Results:The findings revealed no significant difference between the direct measurement and the baseline image in terms of measuring the bone height and thickness (P>0.05).The difference between the baseline and scan image measurements in presence of one SSC was not significant (P>0.05).Furthermore, the accuracy of CBCT images did not decrease after the placement of 3 SSCs. Conclusion:The Presence of SSCs did not decrease the accuracy of linear measurement of alveolar bone height and thickness.Moreover, increasing the number of SSCs did not significantly affect the accuracy of measurements.
Yahyapour et al. (Mon,) studied this question.