The i-CAT CT Scanner
We believe 3-D dental x-ray imaging using cone beam technology raises the diagnostic bar for radiation safety, patient comfort, and implant diagnosis an
d treatment planning. We are proud to have been the first private practice in Los Angeles to offer the benefits and in-office convenience of the “i-CAT” CT scan system. This CT scanner is safer, faster, and provides more accurate three-dimensional information of the jaws and sinuses than conventional medical CT scans. The i-CAT emits from 40 to 100 times less radiation than a hospital based CT scan. You sit comfortably upright in a chair and the scan is completed in20 seconds…no lying down for two minutes in a claustrophobic tube.
Utilizing the i-CAT allows us to eliminate unnecessary surgery and pinpoint important anatomic structures. Pre-operative selection of implant location, implant dimensions, and bone grafting procedures will be more accurate. I-Cat images will also facilitate advanced diagnosis for selective periodontal diseases, root fractures, bone pathology, impactions, and complex management problems. One i-CAT exposure is roughly equivalent to your regular dental check up visit of 4 bitewings and 2 periapical x-rays.
What Are CT Scans?
Computerized Tomography has been utilized in medicine since the early 1970’s but it wasn’t until 1987 that it was used in dentistry. The superiority of CT scans over traditional radiographic techniques are numerous. The elimination of distortion allows for increased predictability when planning implant cases offering a 3-dimensional view with unparalleled accuracy and clinical information. One can also assess pre-existing pathology.
How Are CT Scans Used?
Dental implant treatment is multidisciplinary and based on the prosthetic end result. Treatment planning for an ideal dental implant prosthetic end result involves gathering as much information as possible. Traditional diagnostic information via periapical and panoramic radiographs are only two dimensional and offer limited information. A key tool to successful treatment planning is Computerized Tomography (CT), allowing visualization of a surgical site in a three dimensional aspect. Interactive CT is now available that in conjunction with a surgical guide stent can help guide dental implant placement into the ideal position with respect to function and esthetics.