Effectiveness of Commercial Software-Enhanced Image Artifact Reduction Software.

Abstract Introduction Artifact Reduction (AR) software has been incorporated into some Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) systems to reduce the severity of beam hardening (BH) artifacts, and improve image quality. This study quantifies BH artifact and evaluates the effectiveness of AR in two CBCT systems. Methods Palatal roots of Dent-Alike™ (Dentsply Sirona, Tulsa, OK) teeth were prepared, and root-filled with gutta-percha and BC sealer (Brasseler, Savannah, GA). Six teeth were imaged with/without AR software using the ProMax3D (Planmeca Oy, Helsinki, Finland) and the Pax-i3D (Vatech, Hwaseong-si, South Korea) systems. FSL (FMRIB, Oxford, UK) software was used to quantify the light and dark components of the BH artifact along the tooth root using a specific regions of interest approach and an image-wide analysis approach. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-tests and corrected for multiple comparisons with cluster-mass correction using a non-parametric statistical analysis to evaluate the differences in the artifact volumes and areas with/without AR. Results A significant reduction in the light artifact was observed with the Planmenca system (p Conclusion Proprietary AR software are not equally effective in reducing the light and/or dark components of CBCT BH artifacts.