Clinical applications of ultrasound imaging in dentistry: A comprehensive literature review

Abstract

Ultrasonography (USG) is a diagnostic imaging technique based on the application of ultrasound waves with a frequency greater than 20.000 Hz, corresponding to the upper limit of audible human sound. The frequencies used in ultrasound imaging typically range from 1 MHz to 16 MHz. The principles and applications of this type of waves were first described by the Curie brothers and despite the time that has passed, their use in dentistry has not currently become widespread. The generation of images in USG is the result of the relationship and behavior experienced by different bodies and structures before the application of ultrasound pulses. Ultrasound imaging and its different modes have been used in different areas of dentistry, surgery, and maxillofacial aesthetics, in the description of cysts and tumors, identification of caries, dental fractures or cracks, periodontal bone defects, maxillofacial fractures, temporomandibular disorders, evaluation of periodontal and peri‑implant tissues, in addition to the identification of anatomical structures in the facial region. Although USG in dentistry offers considerable advantages over other frequently used diagnostic imaging techniques, further research is still required in relation to the equipment used for the study of the maxillofacial area, the different tissues and anatomical spaces that are part of it.