CAVALCANTE, Josuel Raimundo et al. Application of CT in CTBMF: a report of three cases. Rev. cir. traumatol. buco-maxilo-fac. []. 2012, 12, 2, pp. 53-58. ISSN 1808-5210.

Imaging is an important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of the dental patient. The introduction of panoramic radiography in the 1960s and its extensive use in the 1970s and 1980s marked the beginning of great progress in dental diagnosis, affording clinicians an overview of the jaws and maxillofacial structures. However, intra- and extra-oral procedures suffer the limitations inherent in bidimensional imaging, such as magnification, distortion and overlapping structures. Over the few last decades there has been a growing trend of using computed tomography (CT) to improve dental diagnosis, especially in maxillofacial surgery. This paper describes the importance of CT, showing its advantages and disadvantages, exemplified by three case reports. The first describes the use of computed tomography in 3D reconstruction of a panfacial fracture. The second case deals with the diagnosis of the bilateral installation of two implants in the mandibular canal. The third case reports the diagnosis of an odontoma using cone beam computed tomography.

: Tomography; Computerized tomography; Cone Beam Computed Tomography.