Archive for the ‘ cone beam scan ’ Category

ARE TEETH DOOMED IF THEY ARE DISPLACED IN THE SOCKET?

Variations of this question are common and the quick answer is no, but teeth that are injured in this way require dental follow up. The second answer is that if a tooth is knocked completely loose it is a different story. The more unstable or loose in its socket, the poorer the prognosis and greater […]

DOES USING A CONE BEAM SCAN BEFORE WISDOM TOOTH EXTRACTION CHANGE THE TREATMENT PLANNING?

This question is put forth in an article in the JAAOMS in 2020. (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 78: 1071-1077, 2020). The process is actually the other way around, at least in our practice. We first diagnose the third molar condition using a panoramic scan which is a lower radiation dose and less costly than a […]

What is the Better X-ray for Wisdom Teeth, the Panoramic or the Cone Beam Scan?

The cone beam scan is by far the better of the two if you are just basing the question off which gives you more information (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 77:1968, 2019).  The panoramic is a two-dimensional x-ray picture of the jaw structure, and the cone beam imaging is a three-dimensional reconstruction of multiple scans, and […]

DOES THE CONE BEAM SCAN (CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY) CHANGE THE TREATMENT DECISION TO REMOVE IMPACTED THIRD MOLAR TEETH?

The main reasons why I recommend a cone beam scan (CBCT) for third molar extractions is when there is significant risk to the nerve in the lower jaw (inferior alveolar nerve) or when there are significant lesions (typically cysts or tumors) associated with the jaw and/or teeth. For me, the cone beam scan has never […]