Comparing cone beam computed tomography with panoramic radiography for prediction of implant planning and size.

Objective: To compare the accuracy and effectiveness of CBCT and panoramic radiography for determining implant size and placement in patients requiring dental implants. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Operative Dentistry, Bakhtawar Amin Dental Hospital, Multan. Period: Jan 2025 to Oct 2025. Methods: Data were collected using a consecutive non-probability sampling technique, with a sample size of 97 edentulous sites from adult patients (18-55 years) who were candidates for dental implants. Both CBCT and panoramic radiography were used to measure implant length and width. Results: The results showed that CBCT provided more accurate measurements for both implant length (mean = 10.3 mm, SD = 1.4) and width (mean = 4.6 mm, SD = 0.6) compared to panoramic radiography (length: mean = 10.1 mm, SD = 1.5; width: mean = 4.5 mm, SD = 0.7). The correlation coefficient for implant length between CBCT and panoramic radiography was 0.92 (p < 0.01), while for implant width, it was 0.84 (p < 0.01). CBCT also demonstrated a higher success rate in implant planning (91.8%) compared to panoramic radiography (78.4%). Conclusion: It is concluded that CBCT provides superior accuracy and precision in implant planning compared to panoramic radiography, particularly for implant length and width. CBCT should be considered the preferred imaging modality for complex implant planning, especially when high precision is required.