Treedental Topic: How to choose the right CBCT equipment for the dental clinic?

For imaging diagnosis of intraoral diseases, dental radiographs, panoramic machines, and CBCT are usually used for diagnosis. From this, oral and maxillofacial medical imaging has also been developed. Among them, the dental radiograph machine is mainly used in the fields of dental body, dental pulp and periodontal. It is limited by the imaging field of view and will not be used for orthodontic or implant-related diagnosis and treatment.

During field research, we found that some clinics use panoramic machine images as a basis for positioning when implanting teeth. Although this can be considered a solution, in fact, panoramic machines are suitable for observing the shape, position and internal conditions of all teeth. It is not suitable for fields that require very high definition of dental structure imaging, such as orthodontics, implants, oral and maxillofacial surgery, etc. Because the panoramic machine uses curvilinear tomography, the image has severe distortion, and it is easy to miss or misdiagnose root cracks.

Oral CBCT greatly improves the ability to diagnose oral and maxillofacial diseases because it can display diseased tissues and normal tissue structures from a three-dimensional perspective. In recent years, "four-in-one CT" has emerged, which integrates CBCT, panoramic, cephalad and intraoral photography (dental films) to meet all the needs of oral clinical diagnosis. Objectively speaking, it is inevitable that oral CBCT will replace the panoramic machine.

--Considerations Before Purchasing Oral Cbct Equipment

Many dental clinic owners or doctors are confused about how to choose a suitable oral CBCT device before purchasing a CBCT. Below we consider how to choose a suitable oral CBCT from the following three aspects.

1. Determine needs

CBCT is a very important piece of equipment in a dental hospital or dental clinic. Before purchasing, you must first clarify what your clinical needs are. For example, if your clinic currently only carries out dental and endodontic projects, then only a small field of view oral CT is enough, but if you want to expand implant projects later, then you should consider buying a medium field of view oral CT. There are also some hospitals or clinics that focus on orthodontic projects, or also carry out zygomatic and wing implants or cosmetic projects, so you need to purchase a large field of view CT.

2. Determine the field of view

The imaging field of view is crucial in the selection of oral CBCT, and different fields of view can better match the clinical needs of the department. We can see oral CTs with various field of view sizes on the market. The factory-produced CBCT is also based on clinical needs when defining the field of view. For example, the average width of our ordinary dental arch is 10cm, and the average height from the chin to the maxillary sinus is 8cm. , the average width of the bilateral temporomandibular joints is 15cm, etc.

The following information is for reference only:
(1) Tooth pulp, 5cm*5cm-8cm*5cm root canal treatment or wisdom tooth extraction, etc., small field oral CT is enough
(2) Ordinary implants, 8cm*5cm-12cm*8cm single or multiple implants, small and medium field of view oral CT is enough
(3) Special implants, 15cm*10cm-18cm*11cm full mouth or zygomatic and transwing implants, require medium and large field of view oral CT
(4) Orthognathic orthodontics, 16cm*18cm-20cm*25cm CBCT reconstructed cephalometric radiograph, oral CT field of view height must be above 18cm
(5) Temporomandibular joint, 15cm*10cm-18cm*11cm- One shot of bilateral temporomandibular joint, oral CT field of view width must be more than 15cm
(6) Craniofacial surgery, 16cm*18cm-20cm*25cm tumor resection or facial plastic surgery, etc., requiring oral CBCT with a wide field of view

3. Determine the budget

At this stage, there is no significant difference between various oral CBCT brands in terms of product functions, and there is no significant gap in image quality. However, there is indeed a huge difference in price, so you must first determine your budget before choosing the corresponding brand! Currently, Treedental has launched a new CBCT that is very cost-effective and has a variety of visual fields to choose from to meet your different clinical needs. You are welcome to consult and purchase and negotiate the final price.

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--Faced with various brands of dental CBCT, how to choose one?

1.Patient scanning method

There are three common patient scanning methods on the market: horizontal, sitting and upright. Among them, the horizontal type is gradually replaced by the sitting type or the vertical type due to its large footprint and high price. This type of equipment requires less space in the dental clinic, and the vertical type is more convenient for wheelchair patients to enter and exit.

2. Imaging field of view

This is one of the key indicators to focus on. The imaging field of view directly determines the scope of clinical application: the larger the field of view, the wider the scope of application. However, as the imaging field of view increases, the radiation dose received by the patient will also increase. Therefore, dental CBCT can provide a variety of fields of view, and can provide image rulers of different specifications according to the patient's diagnosis and treatment needs to optimize the exposure dose.

3. Metal artifact removal

When dental CBCT scans a patient, a large number of black bands and bright radiating stripes will appear around the metal in the reconstructed CT image of amalgam fillings, porcelain crowns, metal crowns, implants and other high-density materials in the patient's mouth. Artifacts affect image quality and interfere with doctor's diagnosis. If the device incorporates metal artifact correction technology, it will be able to effectively remove artifact interference caused by strongly absorbing substances in the image.

TR-PR01 CBCT A.I Artefact Reduction Effect Picture

4. Spatial resolution

The higher the spatial resolution of the image, the better the dental CBCT can display the details of the photographed area. For example, high spatial resolution dental images can show details such as apical foramen and periodontal ligament. Spatial resolution is the result of the synergy of multiple components of the equipment, such as ray focus size, detector pixel size, number of projections within a 360° range, electromechanical scanning accuracy and image reconstruction calculation method, etc.

5. Density resolution

This is an index that evaluates the ability of images to distinguish between different tissue densities. The higher the density resolution, the more obvious the differences between different objects in the image, and the stronger the ability to distinguish different substances. Its value is related to factors such as radiation dose, detector sensitivity (efficiency, noise level), image reconstruction calculation method, etc. Taking dentin and enamel as an example, the higher the density resolution, the clearer the boundary between enamel and dentin, and the better the image quality.

6. Image post-processing

Image post-processing technologies such as light and shade correction, noise removal, edge enhancement, and colorization can provide accurate three-dimensional image data for oral implants and provide information support for treatment plan design and postoperative evaluation. Among them, implant simulation, a commonly used function of dental CBCT, can help doctors describe the direction of the patient's mandibular neural canal, add virtual implants for preoperative implant plan assessment, and make the image intuitive and avoid implant risks.

Today’s topic about [How to choose suitable oral CBCT equipment for dental clinics] ends here. If you have any questions or any dental equipment needs, please contact Treedental and we will serve you wholeheartedly.

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