Why Your Implant Dentist Should Have a Cone Beam Scanner

You’ve finally decided that dental implants are your best bet for restoring your smile, which means you’re ready to call your dentist and schedule an implant consultation. Before you do, though, you might want to check that the practice utilizes one of the most important technological advancements for implant procedures: a CT cone beam scanner. This particular piece of dental equipment can help maximize the odds of a successful implant procedure that results in a long-lasting smile with no unneeded complications. Read on to learn more about the impact that a cone beam scanner can have.

What Exactly is a Cone Beam Scanner?

You can think of a cone beam as a step beyond a traditional X-ray. There’s only so much information that can be gathered from an X-ray that only captures a single angle of the mouth. A cone beam scanner, on the other hand, takes numerous pictures of the mouth and combines them into a panoramic, three-dimensional image. Not only does it show the teeth, but it also captures the entire jaw along with the skull, sinuses, and even facial nerves that might be impacted by the implant process. The more your dentist knows about your mouth, the more prepared they’ll be for oral surgery.

How Does a Cone Beam Scanner Work?

Taking cone beam scans is a quick and straightforward process. A cone shaped X-ray beam (which is what gives a cone beam scan its name) moves around your head, taking roughly 150 to 200 pictures of the oral cavity. All of these images are combined into a single 3D image that can be examined from various angles.

How Does a Cone Beam Scanner Help with Dental Implants?

Placing dental implants takes a lot of planning. The anatomy of your jaw and the roots of your teeth have to be fully understood. You don’t want your implant to be placed in an area where it will end up damaging a nerve or another important dental structure. A cone beam scanner will let your dentist identify these potential obstacles ahead of time and account for them during the treatment. The scans also help determine whether you’re eligible for dental implants in the first place by helping the dentist measure bone density, width, height, and jawbone thickness. They can even be used to predict how long it will take for the implants to join with the bone.

In short, using a cone beam scanner will help make your implant surgery more precise and predictable. If your dentist places implants in-house, check their website to see if they utilize cone beam technology. You can also call them directly to ask about the equipment they use. Make sure that you’ve chosen a practice that’s kept up with the latest dental advancements.

About the Author

Dr. Zack Hegazin experienced the difference that compassionate dentistry could make at a young age. As a result, he has spent over 10 years at his own practice, Marble Dental Care, helping McKinney patients restore their smiles. He can place dental implants in-house and uses a cone beam scanner to help plan the process. To set up an implant consultation, visit his website or call (214) 592-0441.