Cone beam computed tomography - can you see what's coming?

摘要

Are dentists appropriately equipped to use and manage cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) machines, as well as to manipulate and read the scans produced? Dentists everywhere started to buy CBCT machines. Very few countries have regulations to stop dentists buying such equipment. (Well, why should they? Dentists already buy intraoral and panoramic x-ray machines.) Aside from diagnostic purposes, an advanced piece of kit really helps to boost your practice image (pardon the pun) and to achieve one-upmanship over neighbouring practices. But not all dentists understand how to use their CBCT machines and even if they think they do, they may not be using the machines to their best functionality or to the lowest radiation dose for the diagnostic task. I have heard stories of dentists using a CBCT machine just to obtain a simple panoramic image - or worse, a bitewing. Regrettably, some dentists don't even know how to 'read' (interpret) a CBCT scan.