Implant dentists are increasingly finding that three-dimensional CT scans are indispensable in the treatment planning process. The development of high resolution imaging devices and guided surgery software has enabled practitioners to place implants with greater precision and reduced patient trauma. The latest generation of 3D cone beam CT scanners available in the UK offers greater clarity and improved patient safety.
Three-dimensional radiography is transforming the planning and execution of dental implant treatment. Scans show crucial detail, such as the relative position of sinuses and the ID nerve. They also assist with the evaluation of the quality and quantity of bone. This information is important to ensure the optimum outcome when considering the placement of an implant. It enables practitioners to provide an advanced level of diagnostics and an increased likelihood of successful treatment.
Stephen Nicoll of The Implant Office in Cambridge now uses a 3D cone beam scanner for the majority of implant cases he treats. He states, “The benefit of 3D images contributes to providing the high standard of care that is essential in implant dentistry. Cone beam CT scans provide safe, predictable, accurate 3D representations of the bone volume.”
Recent innovations have given practitioners the high quality, accurate imaging needed for optimal results. Andrew Dawood of Cavendish Imaging, London, likes the flexibility provided by the wide range of options available with his Morita 3D scanner, “The field of view can be adjusted from very large down to very small. The settings allow extremely high resolution when I need it, but can also be reduced to a very low dose when the parameters need to be lowered. The equipment allows the clinician to set the field of view as small as possible to stay within the scope of practice.”
Michael Norton of the Centre for Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry in Harley Street has been using a Morita Veraviewepocs 3D imaging system for four years. He enthuses, “It does exactly what it says on the tin and it doesn’t take up much space within the practice. The unit is aesthetic, streamlined and impeccably reliable. It provides excellent image quality at a high resolution and at a low patient radiation dose for a 3D CBCT scanner which is compact and affordable for use in specialist dental practice.”
The latest generation of Morita CT systems includes the Veraviewepocs 3D R100, which provides up to three times the image detail of other scanners, at the same time as improving patient safety. Jonathon Pugh of Parkdale Dental Clinic, Wolverhampton explains why he chose the device, “The scanner provides the fields of view that we need, combined with minimum patient exposure. The ability to undertake 3D scans in-house speeds up the treatment planning process, and avoids the expense and inconvenience of sending patients elsewhere.”
As a part of computer-guided surgery, 3D images offer even higher predictability and optimum patient outcomes. This enables the dentist to accurately plan the implant placement and achieve the best aesthetic result.