Advantages of a Cone Beam CT Scanner?

Many dentists are turning to the most advanced technology available for imaging used in treatment planning. A dentist needs a complete picture of the structure of the skull and jaws to design cutting-edge interventions like dental implants and new orthodontic techniques.

As a result, one piece of equipment that has begun to show up in dental practices is the cone beam computed tomography (CT) scanner. 

Although cone beam CT scanners were originally introduced in medical settings, the device is useful for your dentist, too. In fact, dentists rely on information contained in these scans to prepare for a variety of procedures, ranging from dental implant placement to wisdom teeth extraction and cancer screening.

The images produced by a CT scanner are far more graphic, lifelike and informative than those from a standard radiograph.

An improvement upon the conventional CT scanner, which builds a three-dimensional image through a series of scans that are compiled into one picture, a cone beam CT scanner has a different mechanism. It uses a single targeted cone-shaped beam of radiation to capture a volume of data on which such images are based.

A conventional CT scanner requires separate scans for the upper and lower jaws, but a cone beam CT scanner can capture images of both simultaneously. Cone beam scans take less time, and when a CT image is needed, cone beams limit the patient’s exposure to radiation in comparison to the traditional CT approach.

Cone beam CT scans also have a lower margin of error than their conventional CT counterparts. This feature makes the cone beam scanner particularly helpful in planning the placement of dental implants, in which the implant site must be precise.

When patients have a cone beam scan, the images are thoroughly reviewed, with dentists evaluating all aspects, even ones that are unrelated to the particular treatment that originally prompted the scan. As such, a cone beam scan may also identify other problems that the patient had been previously unaware of.

To learn more and to schedule your consultation, contact our Uptown Dallas office at 214-521-5900 today!