CBCT in Implantology

The advent of radio technology called cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging and dent maxillofacial radiology has leaped forward in its diagnostic capability. It is a digital analog of film tomography more exactly than traditional CT, the x-ray is either conical or pyramidal, and the technology is not limited to dentistry. This modality is emerging as the imaging "standard of care" for the number of diagnostic assessments of the bony components of the face. More specialized applications such as laser-guided model fabrication and image-guided surgery are expanding indications for CBCT referrals by dentists. A reason for the growing use of CBCT scanning is the increasing popularity of computer-guided surgery that relies on digital planning based on high-quality CBCT images but may also include the superimposition of intraoral scans and extraoral face scans to create a 3D virtual dental patient. The most anticipated new development will be the merging of 3-D digital photography with CBCT and diagnostic software to create real images of patients and show actual facial changes that could result from implant placement and reconstructive surgery.