As an integrative dental office in Yardley, Bucks County Smiles is committed to leveraging the latest technologies to support your oral health, which is why we use cone beam 3D imaging to take detailed, advanced images of your teeth and jaw. With this innovative technology, we can better plan and implement your dental and orthodontic treatments.
X-rays have always been important in dentistry, as they enable us to see what’s going on inside the teeth and jaw. But X-ray imaging has come a long way since the first black and white images were created using the technology. Now, amazingly detailed 3D X-rays are possible thanks to cone beam 3D imaging technology.
Cone beam 3D X-rays get their name from the cone shape of the X-ray beam. This cone-shaped energy wave quickly takes pictures of approximately 600 “slices” of your mouth. Advanced computer software then takes all these pictures and creates a 3D image from them.
This innovative cone beam 3D X-ray technology is more accurate and detailed than a traditional X-ray.
We often use cone beam 3D X-rays instead of traditional 2D X-rays because they allow us to examine your teeth, bone, and tissues from different angles. This can help us plan procedures such as tooth extraction by noting the location of nerves and arteries in the jaw. It’s also helpful for the planning of dental implants to ensure enough bone is available. Other applications include:
As with all X-rays, cone bean 3D X-rays do expose you to a small amount of radiation. For this reason, we will use this technology when it is medically necessary. It may be contraindicated for pregnancy and children.
A cone beam 3D X-ray gives us such detailed information, and it can be indispensable in devising certain types of dental treatment plans. By allowing us to view the location of nerves and blood vessels, we can make surgical dental procedures safer. We can also spot potential infection and bone deterioration.
Cone beam 3D X-rays are amazingly fast to take. Once the pictures are captured, our advanced software can quickly assemble these pictures into a 3D digital image that we can immediately view and assess.
The actual process of having your mouth imaged by a cone beam 3D X-ray is super fast – less than a minute! You don’t have to hold uncomfortable appliances in your mouth while the X-ray is positioned. The machine does everything as it rotates around 360 degrees and captures all of the necessary 3D images.
You will simply need to remove metal jewelry from your head and neck area, such as any piercings, that might interfere with the 3D imaging.
If you have any questions about getting a cone beam 3D X-ray, just ask us! We are happy to help!
