• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.789-799
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• 2017

Ultrasound images are noninvasive, can be observed in real time, have no radiation exposure, do not cause pain, and are not restricted in use depending on the patient's prosthetic implant or medical condition. Since the use of ultrasound in the dental field was first applied for tooth preparation in 1957, the use of diagnostic ultrasound for the first time in 1963 has been reported. Currently, it is used in the diagnosis of soft tissue lesions such as malignant tumor or salivary gland disease, fine needle aspiration test, temporomandibular joint disease, lymph node metastasis, measurement of muscle thickness and inflammatory diseases, differentiation of periapical cyst and granulation tissue, measurement of periodontal tissue thickness. The ultrasound image can be visualized in real time. The clinician can explain the structure to the patient while consulting the patient and consult the patient. When injecting the drug into a specific site or aspirating a specific site or substance, So that it can be confirmed and practiced. Recently, ultrasonic equipment specialized in the dental field has been developed and marketed, and it is expected that the use of ultrasonic waves will become active in the dentistry. In the future, development of popular equipment with size and frequency suitable for dental diagnosis and various researches on maxillofacial ultrasonic anatomy. If clinical studies are continuously carried out to demonstrate efficacy, ultrasound is expected to aid in accurate diagnosis and treatment throughout the dentistry.