A Conceptual Knowledge-Link Model for Supporting Dental Implant Process

Abstract

Computer aided techniques widely used as diagnostic and surgical procedures tools are scarcely applied in implantology, which continues using visualization of CT images to define the parameters for dental implant process leaving to the dentist discretion the implant determination, since only the images analysis is non-deterministic. Thus, this research proposes the development of a knowledge-link model integrated to a reasoner system to support dental implant process through information modeling. The system presents an interface that interacts with the user and consists of reasoning mechanisms connected by knowledge-links to a base of knowledge that enables information translation, conversion and sharing. The results obtained using the model showed that it is a valuable tool in the decisions making made by the surgeon in the dental implant planning process as it will be based on concrete and measurable data generated by the system through the analysis of the patient’s tomographic images and implants data.