Abstract: A method and apparatus accurately positions the apparatus at a selected cranial implant site for x-ray tomography of the mandible and/or maxilla and the temporomandibular joint. The method and apparatus comprise making a stent of the mandible and/or maxilla of a patient and making a mark on the stent at a position that corresponds to the selected dental implant site. The stent is then positioned on a fixating device and the x-ray imaging apparatus is positioned with regard to tomographic imaging so that (a) the mark on the stent is at the intersection of the projected cross light beam and (b) the arm of the cross is aligned with the tangent of the dental arch at the site of interest. This positioning data is input to a program that will then operate the positioning motors and the x-ray source to project the tomographic images of the selected site.

Abstract: A method and apparatus accurately positions a selected cranial implant site for x-ray tomography. The method and apparatus comprise making a stent of the mandible and maxilla of a patient and making a mark on the stent at a position which corresponds to the selected cranial implant site. The stent is then positioned with regard to a tomographic x-ray imaging apparatus so that, (a) the mark on the stent is aligned with a light beam, preferably generated by a laser source, projected downwardly to intersect the central axis of the tomographic apparatus and, (b) the selected plane through the mark is perpendicular to the x-ray beam of the tomographic apparatus.

Abstract: An instrument and system precisely positions a selected cranial implant site for X-ray tomography. The system and method involve first positioning the patient accurately in a straight-ahead reference position using a cephalostat, with the ears positioned in the vertical plane containing all X-ray axes and at a particular reference level which may be the level of horizontal X-ray projection. The apparatus includes a pointer system which pivots on the cephalostat vertical center of rotation to measure the angle to a site of interest on the mandible or maxilla, with an adjustable pointer for measuring the height and radial distance of the site from reference positions. The pointer may be extended to directly contact the site of interest on the patient. The information thus obtained gives polar coordinates of the site.