What is a dental CT scan?

What is it? The main difference between a CT scan and a standard dental x-ray is that a CT scan gives us a 3D image. This means we can look around and inside the entire tooth, jawbone, and even your airway! They are important in helping us diagnose various dental conditions and aid in treatment planning.

Who might need a dental CT scan? These are a few indications for getting a 3D scan:

  • Patients who need or have had bone grafting and plan on having dental implants placed
  • Patients who have had complications with root canals or need evaluation of a tooth for root canal treatment
  • Patients who have trouble sleeping, who snore, and could possibly have sleep apnea

Why is it important?

  • Knowing the exact shape and dimensions of the jaw bone helps us be more precise in dental implant surgery
  • Seeing exactly where an infection lies can give us information about whether a tooth is broken beyond repair, or what can be done to help it heal
  • Sleep apnea is a disorder related to several medical conditions including cardiovascular disease and diabetes (read about it in an upcoming post!)
  • We can diagnose abnormal lesions that can indicate serious bone cancers, tumors, and cysts

Where do I go to get a scan? Instead of being referred to imaging centers, for the convenience of our patients we have recently installed a state-of-the art VaTech Green CBCT in our Sunnyvale office. This technology uses extra low dose radiation and is the only x-ray unit that is FDA approved for pediatrics! It allows us to take both 2D digital radiographs such as panoramic x-rays, as well as 3D CT scans of a single tooth, the entire jaw, and even your airway. Our CBCT scans in under 6 seconds providing ultimate high resolution image quality.

If you have any questions about our new CBCT scan, please let us know, or check it out the next time you visit with us!