Dental technology keeps on advancing and that is a good thing for our patients. It provides breakthroughs that makes it easier to examine, treat, and deal with conditions that ail us. One breakthrough technology that has given, both the dentists and the patient, an easier and more accurate way to deal with dental problems is the invention of digital 3D Dental X-rays. These x-rays provide a better view of dental conditions for the dentists. One area where this has been of great help is in root canal treatment. 3D x-rays provide the dentist with intimate details of the number and shape of roots, number and shape of nerve canals, and depth and location of infection among other information.
This is made possible through the combination of:
1. Hardware consisting of a high-technology 3D x-ray machine that captures raw data.
2. Advanced and complex software that processes the raw data to create an image.
3. Training of dental professionals to read and interpret the image.
With availabiliy of 3D Dental X-rays, dentists can diagnose conditions that previously could not be seen due to two dimensional limitations of regular 2D x-rays. 3D x-rays are really a virtual digital representation of the teeth and oral cavity. Because of the this ability to view the digital 3D image by zooming through the image left to right, up to down, and front to back and to rotate it 360 deg, the dentist can for the first time, diagnose many more conditions without need for exploratory surgery. Treatment plan then is more accurate and treatment is more focused because of more accurate visualization of the teeth and oral cavity. All of this can result in better treatment outcomes and hence a happier patient.
Furthermore, the current dental 3D dental x-ray technology uses digital images in a unique way. These 3D dental digital images are less hazardous to the health of both the staff and the client. This is possible because 3D digital dental x-rays have been designed to have a very low exposure level. These exposure levels are much lower (up to 90% lower) than what the hospital grade CT scan machine would expose the patient to for same type of image. Hence, you can be assured that you are exposed to much lower x-rays dose. A digital dental x-ray does not use any chemicals like silver halide which are used in development of conventional x-ray films. Because of this, digital x-rays not only benefit the dentist and the client but also contribute to a better environment.
It is easy to see how a digital 3D dental x-ray can be of benefit for you. But, the digital 3D x-rays are not a substitute for regular 2D x-rays because of the higher dose from digital 3D x-rays. Plus, there are some major drawbacks. For this reason there are very strict guidelines regarding use of digital 3D dental x-rays for protection of the patient. If your dentist thinks that you could benefit from a digital 3D x-ray, they will refer you to a facility that can take this type of image. The dentist at the 3D x-ray facility will further evaluate you to see if a digital 3D image is warranted. At Cosmo Dental Centre, we are proud to offer digital 3D dental x-ray services. We have staff trained to assess, acquire, process, and interpret or refer a patients digital 3D x-ray images. With the availability of this technology, your dentist can come up with the very best treatment plan to keep you smiling.