Dental Scan

 

JOURNEY TO ANOTHER DIMENTION BEYOND THE X-RAY

 

Mouth pain while eating or drinking affects millions of South Africans everyday. Sometimes, a simple X-ray or oral examination can uncover the source of that pain. But for others, the pain continues as dentists come up empty on answers. When an X-ray is taken, dentists can see inside the teeth and gums to reveal roots and bones. But those 2-D black and gray slides can have shadows, hiding potential answers to the source of mouth pain.

Unfortunately, some patients find it difficult to fit a traditional x-ray film in their mouths and will gag or have their mouths cut. Sometimes patients are unable to open their mouths sufficiently or the dentist is unable to access areas at the back of the mouth, so the dentist isn’t able to capture all of the information necessary to catch all potential problems.

 

Seeing the unseen

Advanced imaging technology has given the dentist the opportunity to journey beyond traditional x-rays and to be able to se the unseen. A dental scan is now available that provides an accurate 3D image of the mouth and teeth. The new dental scan takes thousands of slices of data images and puts it together in a 3-D format. The captured 3D images gives dentists a far greater picture of underlying tissues than previously seen with traditional X-ray images. 

 

What are the benefits of a dental scan for the patient?

Quick and efficient

It is a quick and easy process that produces the most anatomically accurate 3-D images of the mouth, face, and jaw one can get. Capturing the images takes only 40 seconds while the patient is sitting upright. Results are processed within five minutes, so the patient and dentist can find out what’s going on almost immediately. 

 

Comfort 

The open, sitting in a chair environment, makes taking a dental scan, easy and comfortable.

 

Safer

Research shows that this technology uses 10 times less radiation than a traditional medical CT scan, making it safer for the patient.

 

Accuracy
With a  3D dental scan, one can see nerve canals and available bone structure with no distortions for more exact treatment planning. After capturing the image, the dentist can scroll through different views, turning the image in any direction and taking precise measurements for applications such as virtual dental implant  placement visualization, bone density assessment, alveolar nerve identification and implant proximity detection.
 

Cone Beam technology offers the highest level of surgical predictability, which results in successful surgical outcomes for patients, and reduced surgery time. Dentists can manipulate the images generated by the machine by moving it from side to side, top to bottom, inside and out. It is accurate within a tenth of a millimeter. 

 

Lower cost

The scans are more expensive than traditional X-rays: X-rays cost R150 to R250 per film whereas a dental scan can cost between R500 to R1500 depending on how much information you need. The entire scan procedure has a lower patient cost than a medical CT.

The in-office location helps patients avoid multiple hospital visits and appointments. 

 

All-in-one visit

Within minutes of the scan patients receive an immediate virtual diagnosis and treatment plan from their dentist-all in one visit.

 

Better understanding

The 3-D images helps patients see and better understand the relationship between their problem, dental structure and their soft tissue or facial appearance.

 

Seeing unknown

Users of the system claim it has helped them find diseases and conditions well beyond their typical dentist appointment. Some dentists have found infections within the bone where there’s massive bone loss around the teeth where you couldn’t see and patients were complaining of pain. Others have found tumors in patients where they didn’t they had cancer.

There is no doubt about it that the dental scan is going to become the golden standard of care in the coming years.