Diagnostic imaging
2D X-ray or 3D Tomography in Dentistry?
What are X-rays?
X-rays are a form of energy, comparable to light and radio waves. In contrast to light waves, X-rays have enough energy to pass through the body. As radiation travels through your body, it passes through the bones, tissues, and organs in different ways, allowing the creation of images of organs, bones, and teeth.
X-ray examination provides information on health or disease and supports the Health Care Provider, the Dentist, and the Odontologist to perform a diagnosis.
2D X-rays are the choice for evaluating craniofacial structures and for the analysis of teeth and the maxilla. Images of teeth, bone, and soft tissues surrounding them are displayed as support to find dental, mouth, and jaw problems.
X-rays can show caries, hidden structures (cysts or abscesses) and bone loss that cannot been seen during a visual examination.
In Dentistry, there are several radiographic techniques to perform a good dental study, one of them, the periapical radiography which is performed inside the mouth.
The periapical radiography is an intraoral X-ray technique. Its purpose is to see the tip of the roots and the area around them, which makes it possible to explore the whole tooth and its surroundings.
Within extraoral radiographies, as its name implies, they are performed outside the mouth and include areas of the head, face, and neck, or the maxillofacial region.
The panoramic radiography provides an accurate diagnosis in a wide range of cases. It shows the teeth position, the bone structure, and the condyles. The panoramic radiography achieved popularity as a tool in dental practice in 1961.
The panoramic X-ray provides a broad vision of the jaw, teeth, and the paranasal sinuses, the nasal zone, and the temporomandibular joint (jaw). These radiographies show issues like impacted teeth, bone abnormalities, cysts, solid growths (tumors), infections, and fractures.
The dental radiography is a standard tool for the diagnosis and treatment planning in Dentistry, however, since it is flat-panel, the image suffers a variable degree of linear distortion. The deficiency of this technique lies in the overlapping and distortion of skull and teeth structures.
What is a Computed Tomography Scan (CT)?
The term “computed tomography” or CT refers to an X-ray imaging procedure in which a beam of X-rays is aimed at the patient and rotated around the body, producing signals that are processed by the computer to generate images or “slices” of the body. These slices are called tomographic images and contain more detailed information than conventional X-rays. Once several consecutive slices are collected by the computer, they can be digitally “stacked” together to form a three-dimensional image of the patient that allows for easier identification and location of basic structures, as well as potential abnormalities.
How does the Computed Tomography (CT) work?
Unlike a conventional 2D X-ray radiography which uses a fixed X-ray tube, a 3D CT scanner uses a motor driven X-ray source that rotates around a con-shaped structure. During the CT scan, the patient remains in a fixed position, while the X-ray tube rotates around him shooting beams of X-rays through the body. Instead of film, CT scanners use digital sensors.
The computer can display the images of the slices in individual forms or stacked together to generate a 3D image of the patient that shows the skeleton, organs, and tissues, as well as any abnormalities that the Physician is trying to identify. This method has many advantages including the ability to rotate the 3D image, making it easier to find the exact site where the problem is located.
In conclusion, the new techniques such as the Cone Beam Computer Tomography (CBCT), 3D planning programs, and CAD/CAM technology have revolutionized the modern Orthodontic Practice because they provide a clear view of the anatomy of the maxillofacial region, clinical diagnosis, and the creation of 3D models of jaws and dentition.
3D Digital Dental Flow
