Dental CT Scans
Madison,WI

When oral health issues arise, a thorough exam is required. In addition to viewing the visible structures inside your mouth, we also need to see the hidden components of your mouth. Thanks to advances in dental technology, Madison Oral Surgery & Dental Implants can get a much closer look at the structures inside of your mouth, allowing us to determine the exact cause of your issues and formulate an effective treatment plan, with dental CT scans.

What is a Dental CT Scan?

A dental CT scan is an advanced scanning technology that produces 3D images of your mouth. This type of scan uses a cone-shaped X-ray beam that rotates a complete 360 degrees around your head. As the X-ray beam rotates, it captures a series of images. Once complete, the images are pieced together to create a singular 3D image that is displayed almost immediately on a computer monitor.

The image shows us not just your teeth and your jawbone, but also your joints, soft tissues, blood vessels, nerves, and more. Once your image is complete, we are then able to use specialized software to manipulate it. We can rotate the image to see your mouth from multiple angles, zoom in, and enhance for clarity. Thanks to these features, we can make much more accurate diagnoses, which then enable the formulation of much more effective treatment plans.

Why Get a Dental CT Scan?

A dental CT scan can be helpful in many different situations. These situations include

•	Diagnosing impacted wisdom teeth and impacted canines.
•	Assessing the health of your jawbone. This can help us to determine your need for a bone graft.
•	Planning optimal dental implant locations.
•	Determining the need for tooth extractions.
•	Examining the anatomy of an infected tooth, which then allows us to plan an effective root canal procedure.
•	Evaluating your sinus cavities.
•	Diagnosing a wide array of pathological diseases in your mouth.
•	Getting a closer look at tumors in your jaw.

How is a CT Scan Done?

The process for getting a CT scan is quick, simple, and completely painless. Before receiving your scan, you will first be instructed to remove any metal objects, including jewelry and hair accessories. You will also need to remove glasses or hearing aids if you wear them.
When you are ready, you are seated at scanning machine. Once you rest your chin on the chin rest, we make any necessary adjustments to ensure that we capture the best possible image. When everything is set, we begin your scan. From start to finish, it takes less than one minute for the cone-shaped X-ray beam to rotate all the way around your head. While quick, it is necessary that you remain completely still. As soon as your scan is complete, the captured images are pieced together, and the 3D scan appears on our computer monitor.

Benefits of Dental CT Scans

Dental CT scan provides numerous benefits, including

•	Quick and painless scanning.
•	High-quality images with minimal distortion.
•	Cross-sectional imaging.
•	Improved diagnostics and formulation of more effective treatment plans.
•	Reduced radiation exposure.

A dental CT scan allows us to see the hidden structures inside of your mouth, allowing us to get a much closer look at all of these components so that we can accurately diagnose your oral health issues and provide you with the most effective treatment plan. For more information about dental CT scans, and to schedule your appointment, call Madison Oral Surgery & Dental Implants today at (608) 960-7650.