CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CBCT) has revolutionized the field of dental imaging. 2D X rays are helpful but not conclusive and definitive at times in difficult clinical situations. That’s where we now rely on 3D technology.
Its applications are emphasized in the disciplines of dental implantology, oral & maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics and temoporomandibular joints.
Application of CBCT technology in field of Dentistry has increased manifold in recent years. CBCT has a much reduced radiation dosage than medical CT. The exposure, at about three to ten times the radiation of a digital panoramic radiograph, is more comparable to routine diagnostic imaging with panoramic and periapical radiography. It is apparent that a high-resolution CBCT scan, utilized in a diagnosis mode to evaluate an individual abutment, is analogous to taking just 3 digital X-rays.
Instead of 2D imaging, this CBCT is a game changer as it can visualize the tooth and jaw in 3 dimensions which gives an in-depth view and reconstruction., thereby helping us with better diagnostics.
- The sagittal plane (side-side)–where we can diagnose hard tissues by viewing it from side to side
- The coronal plane or frontal plane (vertical)- where we can diagnose hard tissues by viewing it from Front to Back
- The transverse plane or axial plane (lateral, horizontal) where we can diagnose hard tissues by viewing it from top to bottom.
