Dental technology

3D cone beam scans

A cone beam CT scan (CBCT, also called a 3D dental scan) gives a quick, painless and detailed view of your teeth and the structures around them. A traditional X-ray shows your mouth from a single angle. If we need to look at one area more closely, more views may be needed. A cone beam scan builds a full 3D image instead.

You sit in a chair or lie on a table while an arm rotates once around your head, collecting a few hundred images. A computer combines them into a single 3D image you and the dentist can view as soon as the scan ends. The scan itself usually takes less than 30 seconds, needs no anesthesia, and you can go back to normal activities right afterward. If you feel anxious in enclosed spaces, tell us beforehand.

We turn to 3D scans when a regular X-ray does not give enough information. Common uses include:

• Planning and placing dental implants
• Planning the removal of impacted wisdom teeth
• Finding the source of oral pain or disease, including cysts and problems in the jaw
• Diagnosing temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
• Planning reconstruction procedures

A cone beam scan uses less radiation than a conventional medical CT scan, but more than a standard dental X-ray, so we recommend it only when it will help. We go over the results with you, and you can see your own 3D images as we explain your treatment plan.

Intraoral photos

An intraoral camera is a tiny digital camera about the size of a pen, with a disposable cover. It can reach corners of the mouth that are hard to see, and takes quick, comfortable photos without triggering your gag reflex the way some tools do.

The images let us see small details such as hairline fractures, worn or stressed fillings, early cavities and changes in the gums. They also give us a baseline to compare against over time, and they help us spot suspicious areas during an oral cancer screening. For you, they make a diagnosis easier to understand: you see exactly what we see, including spots you may miss when brushing and flossing. You can ask for photos at your next visit.

Interactive periodontal probing

Periodontal probing measures the pockets between your gums and teeth to check your gum health. It is interactive because you and the dentist both learn the condition of each tooth and the whole mouth, and that helps us build a treatment plan that considers your overall health too.

We gently place a thin probe beside each tooth, just under the gumline, and record the depth. In a healthy mouth, pockets measure 1 to 3 millimeters. Pockets deeper than 4 mm may indicate periodontitis, and pockets deeper than 5 mm are hard to clean at home. We note the numbers on a periodontal chart, along with bleeding, receding gums, tooth movement, cavities and existing restorations, and update it at each visit to track changes.

From the chart we estimate your risk of gum disease based on factors such as bleeding on probing, the number of deep pockets and lost teeth, your age, health conditions including diabetes or pregnancy, and smoking. The American Academy of Periodontology recommends an annual screening for adults, and higher-risk patients may need it more often. Probing causes little pain. Bleeding during probing usually signals unhealthy gums rather than the probe itself. Learn about gum disease treatment.

Common questions