Why do dentists take CT scans?

Your dentist may use this helpful technology for a range of reasons. A CT scan can produce three dimensional (3-D) images of your teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways and bone in a single scan, letting us diagnose a range of issues that may not have been clear on a visual exam. 

With Cone Beam scanner technology becoming more affordable, more dental practices can now use this advanced piece of equipment. It is primarily used for the following purposes:

• To plan accurate placement of dental implants prior to surgery.
• Evaluation of bone quantity prior to dental implant placement, particularly with regards to sinus location and determination of possible grafting/sinus lift treatments.
• Evaluation and location of vital nerve canals prior to dental implant placement.
• Planning of surgical extraction of impacted wisdom teeth.
• Detection and monitoring of jaw tumors.
• Locating and identifying pathological origins of chronic pain.

Your dentist will advise you if they think a CT scan is needed. As all of our facilities have a CT scanner on premises, we won’t need to send you away to hospital for these scans and can usually get them done on the same day.