OBJECTIVES: To investigate tuned aperture computed tomography (TACT) as an alternative to conventional tomography for cross-sectional imaging of potential implant sites. METHODS: Twenty potential implant sites in three dry human mandibles were selected. Sixteen TACT basis projections were recorded on film using a linear array of source positions. Films were scanned and 20 TACT and iterative TACT slices were reconstructed using TACT Workbench software. Maximum height and width were measured on one representative slice of each site. Results were compared with the ground truth using ANOVA and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. RESULTS: The means of relative difference in maximum height were 1.55 and 1.56% for TACT and iterative TACT respectively (P = 0.8643). The means of relative difference in width were 5.96 and 6.36% for TACT and iterative TACT respectively (P = 0.4845). More than 75% measurements were within +/- 1 mm of ground truth for both modalities. CONCLUSIONS: TACT may provide an alternative to conventional tomography for dental implant imaging. Further investigations should be performed to explore factors affecting image quality.
