While traditional dental x-rays can tell us a lot about your teeth and their supporting structures, sometimes, we need a more in-depth look to help plan the proper treatment for you. For example, if Dr. Feng is placing dental implants, she needs to know precisely where the nerves and blood vessels are in your jaw. During the treatment planning stages, using cone beam CT imaging allows her to make a detailed map of your oral structures and plan the implant placement before touching your mouth.
A Cone beam scanner, also known as cone beam CT or cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), is a type of imaging technology that dentists use to perform scans for precise treatment planning. It is a powerful tool that can make a huge difference in the lives of dental patients as it allows your dentist to get a complete view of their patient’s smile. With cone beam scans, dentists are able to get an extremely detailed look at their patient’s oral structure, which is a tremendous improvement over two-dimensional x-ray images.
A cone beam scanner captures and creates a 3-D image of the patient’s teeth, tooth orientation, jaw bone structure, nerve paths, and other facial features. It is a specialized type of x-ray that allows the dentist to see a patient’s teeth and soft tissues in detail.
The details captured by the cone beam scanner are used to guide the dentist in creating a treatment plan for the patient. The scanner captures details that are not visible to the naked eye, such as decay between two teeth or a cracked tooth. These details help your dentist determine how to treat your condition best.
The cone beam scanner is used in many aspects of dentistry, including dental implants, orthodontics (braces), TMJ disorder treatment, root canal treatment, jaw tumor, and even identifying whether you might have sleep apnea or not. Its use has increased since its invention due to its ability to accurately present details of your teeth and jaw so that you can receive the most effective treatment possible.
When you’re a new patient at Sloan Creek Dental, we use the CBCT scanner as part of the initial exam. Besides the initial scan, here are some circumstances under which we may use a cone beam CT scan:
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The scanning process is a painless and non-invasive method of taking better image quality images of your head and neck, allowing your dentist to create a more accurate diagnosis.
The procedure is relatively short, lasting up to a minute. Before the scan begins, you’ll be asked to remove any jewelry from your neck and head, including earrings and necklaces. You’ll also be asked to remove anything that could interfere with the imaging process, such as glasses or dentures.
During the scan, you’ll stay stationary while the x-ray machine rotates around the head in a complete 360-degree rotation, taking images from different angles. These images will be compiled into a single detailed image on the computer so that your dentist can view them.
The Cone Beam Scanner is the latest in advanced dental technology, and it offers a variety of benefits to both the patient and the doctor. For patients, below are some of the advantages of being scanned by the Cone Beam Scanner:
“Overall the best dental experience I’ve ever had! I’d have to say that Sloan Creek exceeded my expectations, as both Dr. Feng and her dental assistant Anthony who did my x-rays, cleaning, polishing, and molding for whitening trays were very skilled and accommodating. I was relaxed during the entire process and very satisfied with the results. [ ]”
– Nicholas O. (Jan 2022)
You don’t need to be sedated for this procedure as it is entirely painless and non-invasive. If you have any concerns about a dental cone beam CT scan, please let your dentist know.
We highly recommend CBCT scans for new patients as they’re a great way to get a clearer picture of your oral health. However, CBCT scans are optional.
Giving our team the ability to see more of your teeth and jaw can help us provide you with more accurate diagnoses, better treatment plans, and higher-quality care overall.
Sloan Creek Dental is proud to offer advanced dental technology to enhance our general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry treatments. Our state-of-the-art equipment allows us to provide you with the highest quality of care available. If you have questions about how we utilize advanced technology in our practice or if you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Feng to discuss any of our general, restorative, or cosmetic dentistry treatments, please get in touch with Sloan Creek Dental today.
Our dental office is located in Fairview, Texas, and our patients visit us from across the surrounding areas, including Allen, Plano, McKinney, and Lucas
Just about anything you need under one roof. Your Fairview dentist near Allen and McKinney has your family covered.
