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As most dentists and dental specialists have learned in recent years, dentistry is not entirely about filling cavities. In the last five years the dental field has been experiencing a profound Change in the ways of diagnosing and treating patients.
The introduction of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) technology in dentistry is rapidly changing the diagnostic landscape, allowing dentists to now diagnose in three dimensions.
The advent of digital 2D X-rays was also a significant technological advance and is used by the majority of dentists in practice today. Now, 3D CBCT technology has put dental diagnostics to another level. Some dentists are hesitant to embrace Cone Bean Computed Tomography, but this is rapidly changing. The hesitancy may just be a fear of its hefty, but necessary price tag, or merely a fear of the unknown.
New technology is often intimidating, because of the need to learn new skills. However, we hope to help educate our medical and dental colleagues in order to further expand the use of this technology.
We are early adopters of 3D technology.
CBCT Scans Yield Accurate Assessment
We have been using the I-Cat scanner since February 2006, and have found one low dose, 10 second scan, yields an extremely accurate assessment of the patient’s bone quality and quantity as well as a more rounded understanding of associated anatomical relationships.
The radiation dose from a scan is much lower than what is used in hospital settings. Viewing a patient’s anatomy in 3D gives dentists real perception, and diagnosis that would not be possible using standard two-dimensional digital images.
With this technology, Orthodontics can be completed more effiecently and more accurate time frame to complete treatment. Implants and crowns can be placed with more ease and accuracy. Impacted, hidden or missing teeth can be precisely located and ‘hopeless teeth’ can be saved by discovering untreated nerve canals. This power of perception can also help to identify bone and gum disease.
In addition, sleep disorders can be diagnosed that, prior to CBCT, could only be assessed with a full cranial hospital CAT scan. Ultimately, 3D CBCT will become the “Wave” of the future. Many colleagues of ours are installing 3D scanners and living the dream of a more perfect dental diagnosis and treatment plan.
Minimizes Discomfort
The use of CBCT makes taking diagnostic dental impressions an unnecessary, cumbersome task of the past. This minimizes the patient’s in-office work-up time, discomfort of dental impressions and the overall time it takes to formulate an accurate treatment plan.
Two dimensional X-rays, including procedures such as bite wings and panoramic images, must be performed multiple times on a patient to obtain “complete” views of the mouth, while CBCT could have not only obtained all the views available to the 2D machine, but could have also shown hidden anatomical problems in the third dimension.
When performing numerous 2D x-rays patients are exposed to radiation doses higher than that emitted from a single CBCT scan, which may only require one scan for the entirety of the treatment.
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