CONE BEAM CT
Dental disease can adversely affect one’s quality of life, causing debilitating chronic or acute facial pain. Radiography is necessary for the proper diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases. It is essential for improving diagnosis, treatment, and treatment outcomes.
In the past, radiographic techniques that were readily available for endodontic diagnosis were limited to 2D imaging. These techniques included intraoral periapical radiographs and panoramic radiography. Advancements in dental technology have made 3D imaging more accessible for use in the dental office to aid in the diagnosis of complex dental cases. The 3D imaging that is commonly used in Endodontic practices is the Field of View Cone Beam Computed Tomography (FOV CBCT).
During your dental examination, your endodontist may prescribe a limited field of view CBCT. The CBCT makes it possible to visualize the dentition, the maxillofacial skeleton, and the relationship of anatomic structures in three dimensions.
At Southwestern PA Endodontics, we use the J. Morita Veraview X800 for 3D imaging. Our CBCT offers a 360 degree high resolution imaging scan with a limited field of view. This allows us to achieve a higher spatial resolution imaging of the region of interest while reducing the amount of radiation dose.
Is CBCT Safe?
J. Morita's X800 CBCT is designed to make patient dose as low as reasonably achievable. Because the field of view is smaller, the machine captures the dental anatomy with higher spatial resolution at a reduced radiation dose. The radiation level of the J. Morita X800 imaging equipment for one exposure is about a half the amount of cosmic radiation exposed on the flight from Washington DC to Los Angeles. When flying in an airplane you are exposed to a slight increase in cosmic radiation due to the higher altitude and thinner atmosphere. Morita strives to minimize dose in all of their diagnostic units.
