The Power of Good Data
The dramatic ways CBCT improved my approach to treatment planning
In November 2014, I purchased an OP300 Maxio CBCT scanner from Instrumentarium Dental to use in my periodontics and implant dentistry practice. Prior to this, I was referring patients to an imaging center for CBCT scans or managing with 2D images. Since incorporating this technology into my practice, I have found numerous applications and benefits. With 3D images, I can diagnose comprehensively and know that I am less likely to miss something.
In my experience, the most powerful feature is the software, which displays the data, generating images in many ways to help me better diagnose and treat my patients.
The data that I have obtained from OP300 Maxio and the images generated by the 3D software have proven crucial to my treatment planning. In certain cases, the 3D scan has helped me decide to take on implant cases that I didn’t think were doable based on earlier analysis of 2D records and clinical evaluation. On the other hand, I have chosen to not do an implant case that I was planning to do when the 3D images revealed a risk that I wasn’t willing to take. I have accessed impacted teeth taking a different approach than I would have otherwise—eg, a facial versus traditional palatal approach—because the 3D images showed me the exact location of the crown. In two cases, this led to more efficient and less traumatic surgery. I also find myself doing more efficient wisdom tooth extractions when I know exactly how the roots are shaped and can visualize the path that the tooth will need to take when I extract it.
3D has helped also me to confirm the presence of dental conditions—including fractures, perforations, endodontic involvement, endodontic failure, and recurrent decay—that I couldn’t see clearly or definitively diagnose from the FMX or panoramic films.
Presenting treatment plans to patients using the images obtained conveys the message (diagnosis and treatment plan) clearly and quickly. My impression is that patients are “wowed” by the technology and accept their treatment plans more readily.
And this is all just the tip of the iceberg. To sum it up, CBCT 3D imaging is a game-changing technology for me, my patients, and my practice.
Key Takeaways
- Images can be valuable in helping diagnose conditions not seen clearly with traditional imaging
- 3D CBCT scans offer valuable insight for case selection and how to treat complex cases
- Patients better understand their condition and need for treatment after seeing 3D images
For more information, contact:
Instrumentarium Dental
866-940-1417
www.instrumentariumdental.com
About the Author
Daniel N. Indech, DDS is a periodontist at Desert Ridge Periodontics and Implant Dentistry in Phoenix, Arizona. After graduating from dental school at the University of Western Ontario, Canada in 1988, he completed a 1-year hospital-based general practice residency and received an advanced certificate in hospital dentistry. This program focused on treatment in the areas of geriatric care, trauma management, infectious diseases, oral and maxillofacial surgery, anesthesia, emergency dentistry, and more. He subsequently completed a residency in periodontics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
