What Are the Benefits of Dental CT Scans

The work of the dentists is never easy without the use of special equipment. Most of the work done by the experts revolves around the diagnosis. Unless accurate diagnosis is done, the treatment will not be beneficial. That is why dentistry relied so much on X-Ray images to identify oral infections and diseases. Despite the benefits of the X-Rays, they are inadequate. They failed to cover some parts of the mouth. That is dangerous since the hidden mouthparts might be infected without the knowledge of the dentists.

The insufficiency of X-Rays led to the adoption of the CT scans. The CT scans enable the dentists to get 3D images of the mouth. That reduces the difficulty of examining the mouth. It becomes less difficult for the dentists to identify oral infections. No special preparation ought to be done by the dental patients prior to the examination. However, they are advised by the dentists to wear loose clothes. Anything that might tamper with the imaging should not be worn. That includes hearing aids, sunglasses, and jewelry.

The CT scans offer a wide range of benefits in dentistry. Listed below are some of its great benefits.

Reveals everything in the mouth

The CT scan does not hide anything. The scan captures every part of the mouth using different angles and views. Thus, the dentists will have a better view and idea of what is happening in the mouth of the patients. In fact, the dentists prefer the scan when planning to carry out a complete evaluation of the entire mouth.

Bone and soft image tissue

The CT scan is more effective than the traditional X-Ray imaging. The typical dental X-Ray was used to capture images of the jawbone and teeth. However, the CT scan provides more details. The scan captures details of the teeth, bones and soft tissues in a single scan. Thus, dentists have a complete view of every part in one image.

It is quick

The CT scan is very quick. For a full mouth scan, the imaging process is likely to take 20 to 40 seconds. A scan targeting a specific part will take less than 10 seconds. Apparently, the patients are not supposed to be exposed to radiation for a long time. That is dangerous. The imaging process takes a short time but it is very effective.

Controlled radiation

The CT scan uses radiation. Exposure to radiation is one of the causes of cancerous growth. That is why most people believe that the equipment is risky. When a small amount of radiation is used, it does not have any bad effect. The CT scan equipment gives dentists the ability to control the radiation. That has helped in reducing the risk of getting cancer, making the equipment a safer alternative.