Method and apparatus for examining bone formation of alveolar bone

A method of examining bone formation of an alveolar bone using an intraoral scanner having a tomographic function, wherein the intraoral scanner comprises a surface shape acquisition optical system for obtaining a surface shape image of an oral structure and an internal cross-section acquisition optical system for obtaining an internal cross-sectional image of the oral structure, the method comprising:

• filling an alveolar bone requiring bone grafting with a bone grafting material, suturing gums so as to cover the bone grafting material, and then obtaining a surface shape image of a part where an alveolar bone is formed using the surface shape acquisition optical system;
• obtaining an internal cross-sectional image showing a state of the alveolar bone and the bone grafting material by using the internal cross-section acquisition optical system at a predetermined location of the obtained surface shape image;
• obtaining an internal cross-sectional image showing the state of the alveolar bone and the bone grafting material at a corresponding location by using the internal cross-section acquisition optical system of the intraoral scanner when a gum surface shape at the location where the internal cross-sectional image was previously obtained is detected while obtaining gum surface shapes by moving the intraoral scanner after a predetermined period has elapsed;
• and
• comparing the internal cross-sectional images obtained at a predetermined time interval.