3D CT scanner at Aldgate House Dental Care, Whitechapel

What are 3D Dental CT Scans?

• 3D dental CT scans provide precise three-dimensional images of the teeth, the jawbones and the whole oral cavity.
• These are very helpful in the preparation needed before a dental implant treatment.
• Compared to dental X-rays, CT scans offer more accurate information that will be beneficial in the successful and precise placement of implants in specific points on the jawbone.

Improve Your Smile is one of the few practices in the UK to have the Pax i3D from VaTech. A CT scanner specially designed for Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons, ENT and Implantologists. This advanced technology allows Improve Aldgate House practitioners, to determine whether a patient’s mouth is suitable for implant surgery. A CT Scan identifies the exact location of anatomical structures, shows the precise contours of the jawbone, and the best sites for your implants before surgery. By providing detailed images, 3D CT Scans enable us to select the best place for your implants and plan the details of your surgery with pinpoint accuracy.

What are the risks?

CBCT scans are low dose examinations and give an x-ray dose to the patient that is considerably less than a medical CT scan.

What is involved in 3D Dental CT Scans?

• Dental X-rays can become distorted and cannot depict the thickness of your jawbone.
• They are two-dimensional and only show the location of your teeth and the height of the bone.
• An image obtained with a 3D CT scan is free from distortion.
• It illustrates the actual make-up of the bone and provides three-dimensional and cross-sectional views of your jaws. This allows accurate measurement of the amount of bone available to take implants.
• Before images are taken with a 3D CT scanner, patients must remove all items in the head and neck area containing metal, because the metal parts may cause the images taken to be distorted.

Who Can Have 3D Dental CT Scans?

3D dental CT scans provide the most benefits for patients who:

• Will need dental implants to be placed in areas of the jawbone that are considered to be very delicate or risky.
• Will undergo a same-day/immediate dental implant treatment that involves the placement of multiple implants.
• Will undergo a dental implant treatment that involves a number of dental implants to be attached, or for a full arch of implants.
• Need to go through advanced supporting treatments, such as bone grafting, sinus lift (or sinus grafting), and nerve repositioning procedures.

What are the Benefits of 3D Dental CT Scans?

The use of 3D dental CT scans ensures that the images that are obtained are precise and free from distortion; these highly accurate images are necessary to ensure the success of the dental implant procedure.

The three-dimensional images that come from the CT scan provide more valuable information compared to the two-dimensional images that are taken by a dental X-ray. Dental CT scans enable dentists to perform what used to be considered as high-risk dental implants placement into delicate parts of the jawbone with great accuracy; the location where the implants need to be placed can easily be determined with the help of the clear three-dimensional images from the 3D dental CT scan.