Automatic Synthesis of Panoramic Radiographs from Dental Cone Beam Computed Tomography Data

PLoS One. 2016 Jun 14;11(6):e0156976. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156976. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

In this paper, we propose an automatic method of synthesizing panoramic radiographs from dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data for directly observing the whole dentition without the superimposition of other structures. This method consists of three major steps. First, the dental arch curve is generated from the maximum intensity projection (MIP) of 3D CBCT data. Then, based on this curve, the long axial curves of the upper and lower teeth are extracted to create a 3D panoramic curved surface describing the whole dentition. Finally, the panoramic radiograph is synthesized by developing this 3D surface. Both open-bite shaped and closed-bite shaped dental CBCT datasets were applied in this study, and the resulting images were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of this method. With the proposed method, a single-slice panoramic radiograph can clearly and completely show the whole dentition without the blur and superimposition of other dental structures. Moreover, thickened panoramic radiographs can also be synthesized with increased slice thickness to show more features, such as the mandibular nerve canal. One feature of the proposed method is that it is automatically performed without human intervention. Another feature of the proposed method is that it requires thinner panoramic radiographs to show the whole dentition than those produced by other existing methods, which contributes to the clarity of the anatomical structures, including the enamel, dentine and pulp. In addition, this method can rapidly process common dental CBCT data. The speed and image quality of this method make it an attractive option for observing the whole dentition in a clinical setting.

MeSH terms

  • Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / economics
  • Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / methods*
  • Dental Arch / anatomy & histology
  • Dental Arch / diagnostic imaging*
  • Dentition*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / economics
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Radiography, Panoramic / economics
  • Radiography, Panoramic / methods*
  • Time Factors

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 61371195 and Grant 61401289. Shenzhen ZhongKe TianYue Technology Co., Ltd., provided support in the form of a salary for author YSZ, and had a role in the data collection. The specific roles of this author are articulated in the 'author contributions' section.