CAT Scans for Implants and Periodontal Disease and Diagnosis

Why are CAT Scans taken for implants and periodontal disease and diagnosis?

High resolution CAT scans are very useful in detecting and monitoring the presence of oral diseases that are not easily uncovered by ordinary diagnostic procedures. CAT scans deliver detailed 3-dimensional images of the patient’s mouth and its underlying structures so that dentists can examine all the different angles, including the location of nerves and sinuses and incorporate their findings into an efficient treatment plan. Optimal viewing of the bone that results from a CAT scan is often used to facilitate the insertion of implants and have also been a very useful tool prior to performing oral surgery because it helps the dental surgeons avoid serious complications. CAT scans have also helped dentists identify cysts and tumors in the oral cavity. Before the CAT scan advancement in dentistry, the patient’s jaws were originally evaluated using ordinary radiographs. This procedure, however, did not give the dentists the full range of imagery that they needed to properly evaluate the condition of the patient’s mouth. It is safe to say that the CAT scan has revolutionized the way that dentists prepare for implant surgery, assess periodontal diseases, and formulate diagnoses based on the actual condition of the patient’s oral structures.

What is the importance of CAT scans for implant dentistry?

Dentists and dental surgeons have found that the use of CAT scans were very useful in preoperative evaluation to determine whether the patient has sufficient bone mass in the jaws to accommodate dental implants. They were not able to get enough information using conventional radiography and using CAT scans resolved this for them. CAT scan results not only show the exact location of the mandibular nerve, but also other vital structures such as the maxillary sinuses and incisive foramen that need to be avoided during implantation to avoid serious complications.

What is the importance of CAT Scans for periodontal disease and diagnosis?

CAT scans have also given dentists the opportunity to assess tumors, cysts, inflammatory diseases, and oral fractures that are not easily picked up by conventional radiography. They provide accurate information about the location of important structures in the mouth and precise details about internal oral anatomy that help the dentist formulate working diagnoses by establishing the relationship of the lesions, the condition of the jaw, and the oral structures.