Evaluation of long-term trabecular changes around dental implants using fractal analysis

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term bone formation around functioning dental implants with prosthetic loading using the fractal analysis (FA) method. Methodology: The bone around four different brands of dental implants placed on maxillary and mandibular bone was evaluated by fractal analysis using panoramic radiographs taken before the dental implant was placed and after it had been functioning for at least 12 months. Fractal analysis was performed using the box-counting method. According to the conformity of the data to the normal distribution, the significance of the difference between the groups was interpreted by independent samples t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: No significant difference was observed in the fractal dimension of the bone surrounding the dental implant in the pre- and post-treatment radiographs (p>0.05). No significant difference was observed when comparing patient gender and implant brands (p>0.05). Conclusion: Regardless of the implant brand, patient gender, and the jaw in which the treatment was performed, there may be no significant difference between radiographs in the trabecular bone around the dental implants before implant treatment and after at least 12 months of function. Further and large-scale clinical studies on the subject are needed. How to cite this article: Güzelce Sultanoğlu E, Çitfçi Şişman A, Ünallı KE, Kan BM, Öke M. Evaluation of long-term trabecular changes around dental implants using fractal analysis. Int Dent Res 2024;14(2):68-75. https://doi.org/10.5577/intdentres.580