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by Dr Lena Qiu, Meili Dental Care, Hurstville, NSW
This CBCT unit has improved our patient care as it allows the patient to stay on site while we take a 3D scan. This, in turn, allows for a better diagnosis in terms of treatment.
What’s good about it
The three main treatments that have benefitted from this CBCT unit are wisdom tooth extractions with a clear view of the inferior alveolar nerve, implant planning, and assessing the root canal for root canal treatment.
The image quality is very high and makes it easier to diagnose. Once the patient is scanned, the image appears in less than 30 seconds. We replaced our old OPG with this unit, so we already had a dedicated room to house it. The CBCT is slightly larger but it fitted in nicely.
It’s relatively easy to operate and similar to our old OPG unit. I completed a couple of courses on how to use the unit and read the results. I would definitely recommend this for any new owners.
While many clinics use an on-site OPG, the CBCT allows for 2D and 3D imagery with fast results. While any CBCT unit is expensive, the price has become more competitive recently. If you can afford it, an upgrade to a CBCT unit is a fantastic way to improve your diagnoses and speed up treatment time for patients.
What’s not so good
The 3D image consists of a lot of data and can only be viewed on a provided computer. Hopefully, as technology advances, we’ll be able to view it in on standard computers used in the practice.
