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Diagnostics
Volume 16
Issue 1
10.3390/diagnostics16010096
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Comparative Fractal Analysis on Orthopantomography Images of Bone Remodeling Changes at 3 Months Between Natural Socket Healing and Immediate Implant Placement

by
Andrei Radu
1,
Mihaela Ionescu
2,*,
Antonia Samia Khaddour
1,*,
Cristina Maria Munteanu
3,
Monica Mihaela Iacov Crăițoiu
4,
Melania Olimpia Cojocaru
1,
Alex Ioan Sălan
3,
Iulia Roxana Marinescu
1,
Răzvan Mercuț
5 and
Sanda Mihaela Popescu
1
1
Department of Oral Rehabilitation, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
2
Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
3
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
4
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
5
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Diagnostics 2026, 16(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16010096 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 21 November 2025 / Revised: 21 December 2025 / Accepted: 26 December 2025 / Published: 27 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Diagnostic Tools for Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: Osseointegration is the main factor that ensures the long-term success of implant-prosthetic therapy, but besides this, there are other important factors, such as the quality of the alveolar bone and the time of placement of dental implants. The study aimed to analyze changes in the alveolar bone following tooth extraction, comparing natural healing with immediate implant placement, using fractal analysis on OPG images. Methods: This retrospective study included OPG images obtained before tooth extraction and 3 months after surgery in 91 patients who underwent maxillary and mandibular molar extractions and opted for either natural healing or immediate dental implant placement. Fractal analysis of OPG images was performed using Image J software, and the resulting measurements were subsequently statistically analyzed. Results: Most extractions were performed in the maxilla, and most were at the level of the first molar. The study group showed a faster healing process following immediate placement of dental implants, regardless of location, and a similar distribution of bone resorption and healing, with clear differences in location: the mandible had a faster healing process than the maxilla. Conclusions: Fractal analysis showed a better and quicker bone healing of the alveolar bone in immediate implant placement in molar areas compared with post-extraction natural healing, especially in the lower jaw.
Keywords: molar; tooth extraction; fractal analysis; OPG; Image J; alveolar bone; implant-prosthetic therapy; bone regeneration molar; tooth extraction; fractal analysis; OPG; Image J; alveolar bone; implant-prosthetic therapy; bone regeneration

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Radu, A.; Ionescu, M.; Khaddour, A.S.; Munteanu, C.M.; Crăițoiu, M.M.I.; Cojocaru, M.O.; Sălan, A.I.; Marinescu, I.R.; Mercuț, R.; Popescu, S.M. Comparative Fractal Analysis on Orthopantomography Images of Bone Remodeling Changes at 3 Months Between Natural Socket Healing and Immediate Implant Placement. Diagnostics 2026, 16, 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16010096

AMA Style

Radu A, Ionescu M, Khaddour AS, Munteanu CM, Crăițoiu MMI, Cojocaru MO, Sălan AI, Marinescu IR, Mercuț R, Popescu SM. Comparative Fractal Analysis on Orthopantomography Images of Bone Remodeling Changes at 3 Months Between Natural Socket Healing and Immediate Implant Placement. Diagnostics. 2026; 16(1):96. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16010096

Chicago/Turabian Style

Radu, Andrei, Mihaela Ionescu, Antonia Samia Khaddour, Cristina Maria Munteanu, Monica Mihaela Iacov Crăițoiu, Melania Olimpia Cojocaru, Alex Ioan Sălan, Iulia Roxana Marinescu, Răzvan Mercuț, and Sanda Mihaela Popescu. 2026. "Comparative Fractal Analysis on Orthopantomography Images of Bone Remodeling Changes at 3 Months Between Natural Socket Healing and Immediate Implant Placement" Diagnostics 16, no. 1: 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16010096

APA Style

Radu, A., Ionescu, M., Khaddour, A. S., Munteanu, C. M., Crăițoiu, M. M. I., Cojocaru, M. O., Sălan, A. I., Marinescu, I. R., Mercuț, R., & Popescu, S. M. (2026). Comparative Fractal Analysis on Orthopantomography Images of Bone Remodeling Changes at 3 Months Between Natural Socket Healing and Immediate Implant Placement. Diagnostics, 16(1), 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16010096

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