Dental x-rays have been a mainstay in providing dental care for decades. However, traditional 2-dimensional x-rays offer a limited view of what is happening in your mouth. Dental cone beam 3D imaging is a specialized type of x-ray machine that uses computed tomography (also called CT). You have likely heard of CT scans for medical imaging purposes. At the same time, a dental cone beam is different from a conventional CT scanner; it can provide similar images with minimal radiation exposure.
Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) at Alpha Plus Dental Center identifies your problem better than conventional dental x-rays and provides a more accurate diagnosis. This specialized imaging allows our team to see a three-dimensional image of patients’ teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways, and bones in a single scan. Dr. Kovtun can use these detailed images to create a well-informed treatment plan and a guide for surgical procedures such as dental implant placement for safer, more precise care around sinuses, nerves, and areas where many years have passed since teeth were present.
Cone Beam 3D Imaging gives more precise 3D images that help with dental implant therapy and diagnosing existing infections. The procedure is painless and non-invasive. You do not need to do anything special to prepare for a dental cone beam scan. Before performing the scan, we will ask you to remove any metal objects that may interfere with the imaging, such as jewelry or hairpins. The scanner has an arm that rotates in a 360-degree circle around your head to capture images from all angles and takes less than a minute.
We take measures to minimize your exposure to radiation during your treatment. While cone-beam CT scans require more radiation exposure than a conventional 2D x-ray, the direction is typically like a few days of average background radiation that you experience just by being alive on earth. The total radiation exposure is much less than a traditional medical CT scan and equivalent to about the four images you get yearly during your hygiene visit. Dr. Kovtun carefully weighs the benefits versus risks in determining whether a dental cone beam CT is the right choice for you and is happy to discuss any of your questions or concerns. For more information, please call our cosmetic dental clinic at (617) 277-6969.
