3D Scan of your teeth, jaws, airway, and joints in one complete and highly detailed image!

Our Dental office only uses the most advanced and newest dental equipment available on the market. A dental cone beam CT scanner (CBCT scanner) is a special type of dental x-ray machine capable of producing a three-dimensional (3D) scan of your teeth, jaws and joints in one image. This helps diagnose potential issues more accurately and provide treatment with unprecedented confidence. This is especially useful for dental implant surgery, where it allows for precise treatment planning and faster surgery with less pain.

What are the indications for a Cone Beam CT scan?

We use it for 100% of our implant patients for maximum safety and predictability. It is also highly useful for patients with pain that sometimes is not evident on traditional 2D X-rays. We have done many 2nd opinions where the referring dentist could not find the source of the pain. With a 3D X-ray we were immediately able to see where the infection was, and could start treatment right away. It is also helpful for root canal procedures, allowing us to visualize the location of your nerve inside the tooth. It can also perform an airway analysis to help with sleep apnea treatment.

How much radiation do you get from a CT scan?

This was very important for us, so after thorough research, we bought the Planmeca Promax. It has been validated by the University of North Carolina to have the same diagnostic capability, while reducing radiation with 70%. Using Planmeca’s patented Ultra Low Dose technology, we can take a full jaw scan only using the same amount of radiation you would get from your 4 bitewing (checkup) x-rays. This is the equivalent of flying on a plane for about 10 hours.

The scanner also allows us to specifically select the area we are examining which further reduces radiation levels. And, compared to a medical CT scanner, the radiation level is about 100 times less!

What to expect when having a CT scan?

A dental CBCT scanner is quite small and the scan is quick (between 5-12 seconds) with you standing or sitting. You are also not put into a tube, like a medical CT scanner, so you do not have to worry about being claustrophobic.