Because providing exceptional patient care is our primary concern at Michigan City Dental, P.C. we invest in our patients’ dental future by using the latest technological advances in the field of dentistry. To that end, we’re pleased to offer 3D dental x-ray technology to our patients.
What Is 3D Dental X-Ray Technology?
As you might imagine, 3D dental x-ray technology takes pictures that show a 3D version of the patient’s mouth. Our 3D machine is an amazing piece of technology allows us to get many different views of your teeth jaws, TMJ and sinuses through cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology.
Naturally, this level of detail helps us improve our diagnostic accuracy. As our patient, that means you receive the best possible dental care!
How Are 3D Dental X-Rays Taken?
The 3D X-ray machine allows your dentist to obtain comprehensive, detailed images all without the need of an intraoral sensor. The means no more uncomfortable positioning and repositioning of the awkward sensor. You’ll simply stand or sit while our camera rotates around your head, doing a complete 360-degree scan. Not only does this make the process completely free of any discomfort for the patient it also leads to more consistent imaging.
How Do Our Patients Benefit from Our CBCT 3D Dental X-Ray Technology?
Patients benefit in the following ways from CBCT 3D dental x-ray technology:
- Increased Diagnostic Accuracy. Because 3D helps our dentists make more accurate diagnoses, our patients receive better treatment. For instance, the high quality of the 3D images means that we can pinpoint dental problems at their onset, allowing for early intervention, typically resulting in less invasive, less costly dental work.
- Less Radiation Exposure. With 3D technology, patients aren’t exposed to unnecessary radiation. Instead, they receive the lowest possible effective radiation dose.
- Best Possible Imagery. Sometimes it’s helpful to have multiple views of a patient’s mouth. In those cases, it’s nice to have a machine that takes 2D and 3D images. Fortunately, our machine does exactly that.
- Implant planning. Because we can see your jaws, sinuses and nerves in 3D, we can plan dental implants before you even sit in our dental chair. The 3D image can guide the dentist to place and restore your implants to allow for maximum healing and esthetics.
- Orthodontics. Our machine takes images that help our dentists to see where you teeth and their roots are, and plan for them to move to where they should be, to create a straight, beautiful smile.
Are 3D Dental X-Rays Safe?
While many people are worried about radiation exposure from X-rays, the radiation emitted from a our 3D x-ray machine is extremely small. Our machine uses Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to produce a 3D image, which greatly reduces x-ray exposure compared to the typical Medical Cone Beam (CT) 3D image.
Radiation Exposure Examples:
Medical CT of the Head: 2000 μSv1
CBCT Image: as low as 4 μSv
Panoramic x-ray: 14 – 24 μSv²
Average daily background radiation dose: 10 μSv³
Chest x-ray: 100 μSv³
Air travel round trip (NY-LA): 50 μSv⁴
Hourly radiation at some beach spots in Guarapari, Brazil: 131 μSv⁵
If you’re still worried about this topic, please mention it at your next appointment. We’re happy to discuss your concerns.
Ready to experience the best in dental technology? Schedule your next appointment at Michigan City Dental, P.C.