Dental CBCT….What is it?

Dental CBCT is dental cone beam computed tomography. Wow…that is a mouthful. A more simple description is a 3-dimensional x-ray that is used for dental purposes.

Bushnell Family & Cosmetic Dentistry is one of the select practices with this state-of-the-art technology. CBCT scans are fast and comfortable for our patients as nothing is even inserted into the mouth. In less than a minute, our CBCT system can produce 3-dimensional images of our patient’s teeth, bone, and jaw anatomy. These images can be used for many purposes.

We routinely use our CBCT system in the assessment and planning for the placement of dental implants. The CBCT images can be used assess the height, width, and density of the bone. This information is important to ensure that implants are placed in the safest possible manner with the highest possible success rates.

In 2012, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR) recommended that cross-sectional imaging be used for the assessment of all dental implants sites and stated that CBCT is the imaging method of choice for gaining this information. Our use of CBCT fully conforms to these recommendations.

Some other uses of CBCT 3-dimensional images include the evaluation of teeth for root fractures, the evaluation of areas of hard tissue pathology in the jaws, and the determination of the proximity of nerve canals to impacted wisdom teeth. To find out more about how our CBCT system can benefit you, contact our office!