Services
Dental CT Imaging
Your doctor has requested an examination that can help guide successful placement of dental implants.
Dental CT produces a "roadmap" of the jaw to increase the likelihood of successful implant placement. More information can be gained from a CT study than from routine dental and panoramic X-rays. Our scanner and technologists have been evaluated and accredited by the American College of Radiology
The first step is a brief CT scan of your jaw. You will be asked to lie very still for 5 minutes while the scan is being done. If there is any motion on the CT images, the study may have to be repeated.
After you leave, we use computer technology to reprocess the dental CT images to produce life-size filmed images or computer files that allow your dentist to see and precisely measure jaw anatomy. This information will be used to plan your implant surgery.
What types of Dental CT studies are there?
Single site: Shows bone anatomy at a single tooth location and neighboring teeth.
Quadrant: Evaluates one of four divisions of the upper and lower jaw, to plan exact placement of one or more implants.
Complete: This is the most comprehensive study. It provides diagnostic information about the entire maxilla or mandible (upper or lower jaw).
Surgical planning: For complicated wisdom tooth extraction, location of unerupted, extra (supernumary) teeth and tumors of the jaw.
Preparation
There are no dietary restrictions or other preparations for this exam.
Your doctor may provide you with a plastic mouthpiece (called a "stent") to wear during your examination. This marks proposed implant locations. You should bring this stent with you; otherwise we may not be able to perform the study. After completing the CT scan, return the stent to your doctor's office; it may be used later as a guide for your surgery.
Risks and complications
The CT scanner uses standard X-rays. There is no injection and no known complications.