Feasibility of a combination of intraoral UHFUS and CBCT in the study of peri-implantitis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the combination of intraoral ultra-high-frequency ultrasonography (UHFUS) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the evaluation of hard and soft tissues in a case of peri-implantitis.

STUDY DESIGN: A 57-year-old patient was referred for pain and numbness of the chin after implant placement and the subsequent guided bone regeneration (GBR) procedure. Clinical examination revealed hard tumefaction of the mandibular mucosa, with mild mobility of the implants. Assessment with UHFUS was undertaken for the study of the width, degree of tissue alteration, and vascularity of the swollen mucosa, and CBCT was used to evaluate the bone surrounding the implants and the possible impingement of the inferior alveolar nerve.

RESULTS: A combination of CBCT and UHFUS was effective in the evaluation of GBR complications in peri-implantitis, revealing alterations in the periosteum secondary to suboptimal GBR treatment. This was the first study to use UHFUS to evaluate the characteristics of oral soft tissues.

CONCLUSIONS: UHFUS is a promising tool for the diagnosis of complicated soft tissue diseases. When used with CBCT, it can provide useful information on oral and maxillofacial diseases involving hard and soft tissue in a noninvasive way, with reduced radiation dose exposure.