The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology recommends some form of cross-sectional imaging to be used for implant site assessment. A 2001 survey study by Beason RC reported that more than 60% of dentists in southeast Michigan did not use tomography due to limited access and high cost. Most dentists relied on conventional panoramic or periapical radiographs to evaluate bone quantity and quality around implant sites. Cone-beam CT is a new cross-sectional imaging method recently introduced into dentistry. It has software allowing preoperative analysis, with much less radiation exposure to patient compared with medical CT, similar to a full-mouth series of intraoral radiographs. Objectives: 1) To determine the types and the preferred image techniques for preoperative dental implant assessment used among local dentists in Michigan 2) To determine the changes in these regards within a five-year period. Methods: A questionnaire was designed and distributed among local dentists attending the Michigan Dental Association annual session. The data collected were analyzed by descriptive statistics and were compared to the data collected in 2001. Results: 128 questionnaires were distributed, of which 80 (62.5%) were returned. Only 16 of the respondents (20%) provided implant placement treatment, among which 12.5% are general dentists, while 87.5% were specialists (periodontists, oral surgeons, and prosthodontists). 81.25% of the dentists take panoramic and periapical radiographs (conventional or digital) routinely for implant placement, which is similar to the result of the survey in 2001. However, 62.5% use some kind of tomography for selected cases, among them, 30% used cone-beam CT, compared to over 60% who did not use tomography in 2001. Conclusions: The majority of dental implants are still placed by specialists, not general dentists. The predominant implant site assessment radiographic technique used is the combination of periapical and panoramic radiograph, with supplement of tomography in some cases.

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