What is a CBCT or Cone Beam CT Scan?

Man smiling next to text.
Text reads: Advantages of our Cone Beam CT Scans: Greatly reduced radiation. Easily assess bone structure and density. Great patient comfort; no claustrophobic tubes.

In today’s most advanced dental practices, CT (also referred to as CAT) scans have become an important diagnostic tool. You may have seen the acronym CBCT and might be wondering what a CBCT study is. CBCT stands for cone beam computed tomography, which is a dental imaging system that utilizes a focused beam of radiation (the dental cone beam)to target a narrow field of view in the face and oral cavity. The scanner takes a series of still images, then reshuffles them to create 3D imaging of the bones and soft tissues of your face and mouth.

At MD Periodontics, we use an industry standard-setting dental cone beam computed tomography device, known as the KaVo Kerr i-CAT scanner, that creates 3D images of your facial bones, sinuses, and TMJ joints with astounding image quality. This high-fidelity facial CBCT technology gives the dentists at MD Periodontics vital input they can use for evaluating any ongoing disease, treatment planning, and surgical templating.

Your dentist may order a facial CT for the following reasons

Create a surgical template for accurate placement of a dental implant
Assess the bone structure and density at a proposed site before implant placement
Locate vital structures such as sinus cavities and nerve canals that are important to identify during surgical planning
Diagnose any pathology in the jaw

By marrying the highly detailed anatomical data provided by the i-CAT with our state-of-the-art treatment planning software, known as the Smile Design Studio, our dentists can:

Show you a color image of your mouth immediately after your scan and discuss your diagnosis on the spot.
Use this software to design implants and surgical procedures with greater precision than ever before.

Learn more about the Smile Design Studio.

Advantages of the i-CAT cone beam dental imaging CT scanner

Unsurpassed Precision

Accurate planning before implant procedures is critically important. The anatomical data captured by the i-CAT scan communicates directly with our dental implant planning software. This allows your dentist to virtually place a dental implant on the computer before surgery and use this data to fabricate a customized physical surgical guide.

This guide will fit over your existing teeth during surgery and will have a hole at the precise angle the dentist needs to drill in order to place the implant in the correct rotation and angle. This new level of precision has revolutionized implant dentistry.

Because the implantology experts at MD Periodontics know that precision is critical for successful surgical outcomes.

Less radiation exposure than conventional CTs

The time needed for a standard facial CT exam with an i-CAT is just 20 seconds as compared to up to 30 minutes of scan time required for conventional head CT exams performed at an imaging center. A longer scan time means more radiation exposure; in fact, the radiation dose from an i-CAT scan is ten times less than that of a medical CT scan.

The i-CAT scanner offers multiple low-dose radiation settings that are designed to maximize patient safety. For instance, with the i-CAT, your dentist can focus the X-ray beam precisely on the desired treatment area, thus keeping your radiation exposure to the minimum amount necessary.

Because at MD Periodontics patient safety is always top of mind.

i-CAT™ FLX V-SERIES, Dental Scanner, MD Periodontics of Los Angeles — i-CAT™ FLX V-SERIES by Kavo

A Better Patient Experience

Unlike the CT scanners at imaging centers and hospitals in which you lie down and are slid through a tube in an enormous machine, the i-CAT dental CBCT scan is usually performed with you standing. You simply stand in a marked area in front of the scanner, guides are put in place to hold your head perfectly still, and you grab two handlebars in front of you to keep you steady.

The beam emitter then travels in a circle around your head taking a series of images that the scanner’s software will rearrange into a 3-D X-ray image. The entire process takes just 20 seconds and is entirely non-invasive. At no point is your head enclosed within a machine (a big relief for claustrophobic people!)

Because at MD Periodontics we believe that no patient should sacrifice their oral health out of fear of an office procedure.

…at MD Periodontics patient safety is always top of mind.

More convenient

The i-CAT is conveniently located in our office so our patients don’t have to travel to another facility and then schedule a return appointment to discuss the results. By having a scanner inside our office, you can undergo your test and see the images with your dentist, who can provide you with a diagnosis and treatment plan, all in the same visit.

Because at MD Periodontics we know your time is valuable.

Why choose MD Periodontics?

At MD Periodontics in Beverly Hills, our commitment to providing our patients with unsurpassed care means that we invest in state-of-the-art technology to provide the best available diagnostic and surgical capabilities available anywhere today.

To schedule a consultation, click here or call us at (855) 245-1100. Your smile will thank you!

We have convenient accessibility for patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area. Our Beverly Hills office is conveniently located near West Los Angeles, Culver City, West Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Sherman Oaks, and Encino.

Call (855) 245-1100 or click here to schedule onlinerequest a consultation