In these cases, the sinuses and apices of the maxillary teeth may be out of the FOV. However, there are times when 8 by 8 cm is inadequate, such as with patients who have tall mandibles or longer faces. In general, IвЂ™ve been very happy with my purchase.

It was a practice changing decision for me.ДЄs a general dentist who places implants but doesnвЂ™t extract wisdom teeth, I bought an 8-by-8-cm PlanmecaВ® PromaxВ® 3D Classic. If youвЂ™re considering buying a CBCT machine, donвЂ™t hesitate. Oral surgeons typically get full-FOV machines - up to 16 by 16 cm. For endo, a 5-by-5-centimeter FOV will be adequate in most cases. Most machines also allow you to narrow the FOV (and therefore decrease the radiation exposure) depending on what youвЂ™re scanning. My suggestion is to choose the smallest FOV for what you want to accomplish. The larger the FOV, the more data you will be responsible for interpreting. Size also matters when discussing field of view (FOV), which refers to how much of the patientвЂ™s head will be captured by the scan. This dual capability means your new CBCT machine can replace your old panoramic machine, so no additional space will be required. Panoramic images can also be reconstructed from a CBCT image using software. Fortunately, most CBCT machines take up approximately the same amount of space as a traditional panoramic machine, and many have both 3D and 2D sensors and are therefore able to capture panoramic radiographs as well as CT scans. If youвЂ™re limited in terms of space, your choices will also be limited. When you begin looking at CBCT machines, envision the space it will occupy in your office. However, in my small general dentistry practice, I likely wouldnвЂ™t have made the investment in CBCT if I wasnвЂ™t also placing implants. It can also be used to navigate root canal anatomy and evaluate previously treated canals. In endodontic cases, CBCT will show periapical lesions far more clearly than traditional radiographs, especially around the maxillary sinus. For third molar extractions, inferior alveolar nerve proximity to tooth roots can be easily determined using a CBCT image. If youвЂ™re not placing implants, there are certainly other uses for CBCT, most notably third molar extractions and endodontics. When treatment planning an implant case, there is no situation where I find it beneficial to have less information (e.g., a panoramic or periapical radiograph) rather than more information (a CBCT scan). While implants were placed for many years without CBCT scans, there is simply no reason not to have this data in todayвЂ™s world. The information gained from CBCT scans prior to dental implant placement is invaluable and quickly becoming the standard of care in implantology. It can be confusing, but if you focus on a few key features that are important to your practice, youвЂ™ll be able to make the right decision.ДЇor me, the reason behind purchasing a CBCT machine for my practice was dental implants. There are far more options today than there were even four years ago, so itвЂ™s easier to find whatвЂ™s right for you. It was a practice-changing decision for me. Why did I think it was so essential to my practice that I added almost $100,000 to my debt? How did I decide which machine to purchase? What features were important? How did I plan on paying for the new piece of equipment?Д«efore I get into the details, IвЂ™ll answer one question upfront - if youвЂ™re considering buying a CBCT machine, donвЂ™t hesitate. Yet, five months later, I found myself taking out another loan to buy a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) machine. Scardella, DMD, recalls his decision-making process.Д«ack in 2015, I took out a sizable loan to purchase my first dental practice in Duxbury, Massachusetts. This is a Self-InstructionВ article worth one CE credit.

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