If your dentist uses a cone beam CT scanner for dental imaging, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, can it really be that much better than traditional imaging like X-rays? Here’s the lowdown on this amazing technology, and how it can help make your dental implant treatment more accurate than ever before!
What is a Cone Beam CT Scanner?
Unlike other types of imaging, a cone beam CT scan can produce 3D images of your teeth and jaws. This allows your dentist to see the three-dimensional structure of your jawbone and soft tissues in greater detail, which can be extremely helpful when determining the quality and quantity of these bones while planning your dental implant surgery.
Benefits of Cone Beam CT scans
There are many benefits to using a cone beam CT scanner that can make your dental implant treatment much more successful. These include:
- Improved image quality and accuracy: The cone beam scanner can hone in on a specific area in the mouth, allowing your dentist an up-close view of an area as small as a tooth root. It can also examine the location from multiple angles, giving a clearer picture of your mouth than a simple X-ray ever could.
- Can capture bone and soft tissue: The cone beam CT scanner can take images of both the bone and soft tissue, providing your dentist with more information than could be gathered by a traditional X-ray. This in turn can help formulate a much more accurate treatment plan.
- Reduced levels of radiation: The cone beam CT scanner uses a lower dosage of radiation than regular CT scans do. In fact, no radiation remains in your body after a cone beam CT scan at all. Please note that if you are pregnant, however, it is still important to let your dentist know prior to your scan so additional precautions can be taken.
- Fast and painless: A full mouth scan takes just 20 to 40 seconds with a cone beam CT scanner, and your dentist only needs about ten seconds to scan a specific area. This machine can generate literally hundreds of images from just a single scan, giving you a more comprehensive view of your mouth than ever before. Best of all, it’s completely painless!
Remember, if your dentist uses a cone beam CT scanner, you can rest assured that you’re getting a safe, accurate, and pain-free scan that will help ensure you have the most comprehensive images possible, as well as the best odds for a successful treatment.
About Dr. Barnett
Dr. Andrew Barnett earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, and his dental doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh. He then returned to the University of Michigan for his Master of Science Certificate in Periodontics. Today, Dr. Barnett is an active member of the American Dental Association, Texas Dental Association, and the American Academy of Periodontology. If you’d like to learn more about dental implants and see how this dynamic treatment can improve your oral health, your smile, and your life, please schedule a consultation with Lincoln Park Periodontal & Dental Implant Group today by visiting our website or calling 214-691-2614.