As in other specialties related to medicine, in dentistry the use of new technologies contributes to considerably increase the chances of success of a treatment.
In the area that concerns us, one of the advances that has brought the greatest benefits to dental practice is that of the CT scanner.
This device plays a fundamental role in making an accurate diagnosis and good treatment planning.
In this way, faster, more predictable and effective results are achieved.
What is a dental CT scan?
A dental CAT scan or dental CT scan -an abbreviated form of Computerized Axial Tomography- is a device that uses X-rays to obtain three-dimensional images of the patient’s teeth and maxillary bones -upper and lower-.
Since some people may confuse a CT scan with a traditional panoramic X-ray, it is worth remembering at this point that the former makes images in three dimensions, while a conventional X-ray does not.
Digital dental CT
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RESULT OF THE DENTAL CT SCAN
What is the purpose of this device?
The CT is used to carry out a complete radiological study of the patient’s mouth, as it allows images of the dental and bone structures to be obtained.
In this way, it allows the dentist or maxillofacial surgeon requesting the test to thoroughly plan a treatment before carrying it out.
It is important to note that CT is used for specific treatments, i.e., it is not performed for every dental procedure.
For example, its use is especially widespread in the specialty of implantology.
However, it can also be used in other specialties.
In fact, it is essential for planning some dental treatments.
When is dental CT performed?
As mentioned above, it is mainly used in implantology, although it can have other uses:
Implant placement:
It allows the bone structure to be studied to determine the exact position in which the implant is to be placed in the bone. It also allows to see the state of the dental root.
Bone regeneration:
The CT scan also serves to check the patient’s bone dimension and determine if he/she has enough bone.
It is a vital step to carry out the intervention or if it is necessary to plan, in addition, some bone regeneration technique, such as maxillary sinus elevation.
Wisdom teeth included:
The CT scan is used to check their relationship with the lower dental nerve and calculate the best possible approach for wisdom tooth extraction.
Included canines:
The appliance is used when orthodontic treatment is to be performed, either with braces or invisible orthodontics with Invisalign aligners, and there is an included canine.
In this way, the tooth is planned to be lowered to the correct position.
As in the case of Sofia, one of our patients who had two included canines, one in the upper arch and one in the lower arch.
To plan her lingual orthodontics with Incognito brackets – a treatment that is 100% invisible to the human eye – we performed a dental CAT scan.
Where can I have this test done?
Although it is true that most dental clinics do not have a CT scan, at DrAW Clinic we do have this technology.
The fact that many clinics do not have it is due to the fact that dental CT is a very expensive technology and requires a very large investment.
Therefore, it is necessary to perform a large number of implant surgeries to make it worthwhile.
When the clinic does not have a CT scan, it must ask the patient who requires this test to have it done at another center and return several days later with the results so that they can be interpreted by the professional who requested it.
This, in turn, entails some discomfort for the patient because of having to travel.
In addition, it slows down the time to know the results.
However, in our clinic, since we have an exclusive team of implantology specialists who perform numerous implant placement surgeries, we do have a CAT scan.
In short, the fact of having our own dental CAT scan brings numerous advantages to the patient:
You get a more accurate diagnosis:
It allows dentists to know in detail the initial state of the patient’s teeth and maxillary bones.
It provides greater comfort and avoids travel:
The test only takes a few seconds and the patient does not have to travel another day to another center. In this way, the results are known instantly, since the dentist can interpret them in the same office.
You get more predictable results:
Since a previous study has been carried out, it is known exactly what the patient’s starting point is and it is easier to plan and predict its evolution.
How is a CT scan performed?
In our clinic, the dental CAT scan is performed by qualified personnel in an X-ray room isolated from the rest of the center.
The procedure is very similar to that performed on panoramic X-rays.
That is to say, it is not necessary for the patient to follow any previous treatment or recommendations.
You only have to follow the instructions of our staff at the time of the test.
Remove earrings and necklaces, and any other metallic object.
Put on the lead apron to protect you from radiation.
The relevant professional will put the vest on you to protect you from the radiation and will tell you the exact position you need to be in so that the device can take the right images of your mouth.
The test takes only 20 seconds.
At this point, it is important to remember that pregnant women should not undergo this test because of the radiation involved, even at a very low dose.
Use of the lead vest
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DENTAL CT
As you can see, dental CT is a very simple test that takes very little time to perform.
This, together with the great value it brings to the treatment, means that patients have no objection to undergo it when we ask them to do so.
Dental CT: Is it dangerous?
As we have already seen, dental CAT scans are necessary for the planning of a large part of dental treatments.
However, many patients ask themselves whether dental CT scans carry any health risks.
The answer to this very controversial question is no.
The radiation exposed by a scanner, a CT scan or an X-ray is minimal.
In fact, at DrAW Clinic our equipment is digital, to further minimize the impact of radiation received by the patient.
The radiation of a conventional CAT scan is 2 mSv. However, the level of a digital CT is only 0.02 mSv.
The Spanish Society for Radiological Protection points out that the probability of developing cancer increases significantly when a person is subjected to doses of more than 100 mSv.
State-of-the-art technology
At DrAW Clinic we have had digital dental CT for years.
Find a clinic with Digital CT
Although the radiation emitted by the Dental CT is minimal, we always recommend you to go to a dental clinic whose equipment is digital.
Recently, we have incorporated a new technology that is even safer for your health and even more accurate for your treatment planning.
This is an advanced technology that performs both the panoramic X-ray and the CT scan at the same time.
This is very useful, since normally the patient who needs a dental CAT scan, also requires panoramic x-rays to rule out other dental conditions (caries, periodontitis, etc).
Therefore, this technological revolution has great advantages for our patients:
Reduction of the time needed for diagnostic tests:
Thanks to such a tool, the patient will only have to undergo a single test (instead of two).
The amount of radiation is minimized (even more if possible):
This is because the patient instead of receiving two doses of radiation, receives a single minimal dose.
Among other things, this tool allows us to see if the patient has included canines, to analyze the roots of the teeth, to see where the retained tusk is located and to analyze the patient’s bone in order to determine where an implant can be placed.
In addition, pooling the results of both diagnostic tests gives the specialist a broader and more complete view of the overall state of your oral health.
This helps the specialist to plan a more stable, durable and reliable long-term treatment.
Now that you know the benefits of this test, we encourage you to consult with our specialists about the price of a dental CAT scan, as well as to make an appointment to have it performed.
