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Local dentist Pioneers using 3D scanner

September 29, 2011 | Category: Office News

September 26, 2011

Local dentist pioneers 3D scanner

More complete diagnosis, less expensive

AUSTIN— Local dentist Dr. Michael Bell recently added a 3D Cone Beam Imaging System to his arsenal of technology used to diagnose and treat patients. The scanner takes 3D images of the teeth and jaws, which are especially useful for patients who may need dental implants. Typically, dentists send patients to a radiology clinic or another specialty office for the type of detail that comes from the 3D images.

Benefits of the 3D Cone Beam Scanner include providing a more complete and accurate diagnosis, and therefore more complete and accurate treatment.

“You can see problems that might not be visible on conventional x-rays until they are more advanced.  We are able to put implants in with more precision compared to using conventional 2D images, and our patients do not have to go to a radiology clinic and pay a higher price,” Dr. Bell says. “It is an excellent technology and I am proud to offer this to my patients as part of our services.”

The 3D Cone Beam Imaging system is a digital x-ray scanner mounted on a rotating arm. The name Cone Beam comes from the way that the scanner projects x-rays in a carefully controlled, cone-shaped beam. Patients simply sit in a chair while the scanner moves in one complete circle around their head, gathering all the data needed. The dentist can then look at whatever views they need on a computer monitor. The images can be viewed from any angle and in different magnifications, to see the relationships between bones, teeth, airways, nerves and tissues; and to plan or evaluate a patient’s treatment plan.  

While 3D Cone Beam Imaging produces the same kind of high-quality images as a CT scan, it does so with much less radiation.  A 3D Cone Beam scan takes just 19 seconds and is comparable in radiation dosage to the complete series of individual x-rays on film, but is of more diagnostic value to the patient.

“The scanner itself and the images it displays are pretty amazing,” Dr. Bell says. “The technology makes it possible for a general dentist to use 3D images for a variety of diagnostic purposes. The internal anatomy of teeth can be seen, which makes, for example, more predictable root canals; and also gives the ability to visualize impacted teeth in a way that ensures accuracy in how they are situated before surgery.  Infections that are too small to be seen on 2D show on 3D.  When planning dental implants, knowing the shape and exact dimension of the bone is invaluable in placement of the implants,” Dr. Bell says.

“We are using the Cone Beam scanner as part of our new patient exam and charging only $138, which is not much more than the average fee for a 2D panoramic radiograph (usually about $95 to $118),” Dr. Bell says. 

For more information, go to www.mbelldds.com or call 512-327-7750.

About Dr. Michael C. Bell, DDS

Dr. Michael C. Bell, DDS, is a nationally recognized practitioner of general and cosmetic dentistry in Austin, Texas. He was recently voted one of the Top Dentists in Austin Monthly Magazine and was honored for the fifth year in a row as one of Texas Monthly’s Super Dentists. Dr. Bell has been a practicing dentist for more than 32 years, focusing on general and cosmetic dentistry, including dental implants. Dr. Bell and his team are known for their use of the latest technology to provide complete and accurate diagnoses of dental conditions, as well as patient comfort and safety. For more information, go to www.mbelldds.com or call 512-327-7750.