Superiority of Cone Beam Computed Tomography Over Intraoral Radiography for Detection of Periapical Lucency in Complicated Fractures of the Maxillary Fourth Premolar Teeth in Dogs

Apical periodontitis (AP) is commonly encountered in dogs. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has emerged as the preferred imaging modality for identification and monitoring of AP in the human endodontic community. This study compared intraoral radiographs (IOR) and CBCT for identifying periapical lucency (PAL) (as a proxy for AP) of the maxillary fourth premolar teeth in dogs. All dogs had IOR and CBCT performed under general anesthesia. Imaging was evaluated retrospectively and compared. PAL was identified more frequently with CBCT, and results were statistically significant. No other statistically significant relationships were identified. This study shows that CBCT is superior to IOR in identification of PAL of the maxillary fourth premolar teeth in dogs.