Measuring Bone Density in Healing Periapical Lesions by Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography: A Clinical Investigation

Introduction: Differences in bone density before and after endodontic treatment were examined in teeth with periapical lesions in Hounsfield units (HUs) by using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: Sixteen patients requiring endodontic treatment for periapical lesions underwent CBCT scan before and after treatment. Their bone densities were calculated in HUs. The study included 16 lesions measuring 8-10 mm in diameter. HU measurements were taken from an area of 2.25 mm(2) on the CBCT images where the bone density was lowest, before and after treatment. Results: The initial and final measurements were compared statistically by using paired samples statistics at the 5% significance level. Conclusions: The results of this study support the use of CBCT to measure bone density before and after endodontic treatment. (J Endod 2012;38:28-31)