Dental CBCT 3D scanning

How a CBCT scan differs from an ordinary dental X-ray

A periapical radiograph and an OPG are flat. They show the tooth and the bone from one side, rather like a shadow. That is enough to find decay between teeth or to check a root filling, but it says nothing about what lies in front of the tooth and what lies behind it.

Cone beam computed tomography, CBCT for short, builds a three-dimensional image. The dentist can look at the same spot in any cross-section, measure the thickness of the bone and see exactly where the nerve runs. The difference is roughly the difference between a photograph of a house and a scale model of it.

When we refer you for a scan

Planning an implant

This is the most common reason. Before an implant goes in, we need to know how much bone there is, what quality it is and where the inferior alveolar nerve or the maxillary sinus runs. A flat image will not show that. Working from the scan, the dentist chooses the length and diameter of the implant before you sit in the chair.

Impacted wisdom teeth and surgical procedures

Wisdom teeth can lie horizontally, catch on the tooth next door or sit right against the nerve. A scan shows how the roots lie in relation to the nerve, so we can plan the surgical procedure and weigh up the risk before it starts, rather than partway through.

Difficult root canal treatment

Teeth are not always textbook: an extra canal, a curved canal, a canal that splits. If a tooth hurts after root canal treatment, or the treatment is not working, a scan often shows the reason that an ordinary radiograph misses.

Lesions, cysts and the sinuses

Lesions around the root tips, cysts and anything at the junction between the upper teeth and the maxillary sinus are far easier to assess in three dimensions.

Impacted teeth and injuries

We also use scans to locate impacted teeth, and after an injury, when we need to check whether a root has fractured.

What happens during the scan

You stand or sit at the machine and rest your chin and head so that you stay still. The arm of the machine makes one turn around your head. The whole exposure lasts a matter of seconds.

The scan is painless. We use no contrast agent and you do not need to fast beforehand. We only ask you to take out earrings, glasses and any removable dentures, because metal distorts the image.

Radiation and safety

A CBCT scan involves a higher radiation dose than a single periapical radiograph or an OPG. It is, however, a clearly lower dose than a conventional CT scan of the same area taken in hospital.

So we do not scan as a precaution or ‘just in case’. We scan when the result will genuinely change the treatment, and we image the smallest area that is enough to reach a diagnosis. This is the rule applied across radiology: the dose should be as low as reasonably achievable.

The information on how our work affects human health and the environment, required under Polish atomic energy law, is on a separate page.

When we do not take the scan

Pregnancy is a relative contraindication. If you are pregnant, or think you may be, tell us before the scan. We usually postpone it, and if it really is necessary, the dentist makes the decision together with the patient.

The scan also means keeping completely still for those few seconds. In small children, and in anyone who finds that hard, the image can come out unreadable and we have to look for another solution.

What you get afterwards

We look at the images together on the screen and explain what they show. You can take the report and the scan files away with you, including when another dentist is going to carry on with the treatment. We hand over the scan on a disc.

How much it costs

We price a scan of one arch, upper or lower, separately from a scan of both arches together. Current rates are in the price list.

How to book

Call 32 326 06 06. We are open Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 19:00.

Wyry sits on the road from Mikołów to Pszczyna, so it is an easy drive from Mikołów, Łaziska Górne, Tychy, Orzesze and Katowice. There is a car park in front of the building.