Business growth looks different in every dental practice. Some simply take on new patients for general dental care, others open up new surgeries and welcome clinicians that can develop the care they provide. For many, growth manifests as offering new services altogether.
Clinicians that provide implant dentistry will look to capitalise on the growth of the rapidly developing field, and this will require investment into your practice.
This includes educating the team, introducing treatment-specific materials, and importantly, utilising an effective in-house imaging system. The latter will generally take the form of an all-singing, all-dancing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner – but what should you look out for in your practice’s new solution? Understanding why CBCT imaging is so important in implant dentistry, and the benefits that providing it in-house can offer, allows you to make an investment that rewards you for years to come.
A key component
Utilising CBCT scanners in implant dentistry allows clinicians to acquire detailed volumetric image data for greater diagnostic and treatment planning processes.[i] By taking 3D scans, dentists may be able to better understand the existing maxillofacial structures, for example, by seeing the exact shape of the bone in the jaw,[ii] which is not possible from conventional X-rays. Plus, CBCT scans used in conjunction with currently available softwares allow dental professionals to perform nerve tracing, or even mock implant surgery.[iii]
Clinicians can then identify how implants can be placed for outcomes that are long-lasting, easier to restore, and comply with the existing anatomy.
Dentists may also be looking at the rise of guided implant surgery, which leans heavily on 3D diagnostic solutions such as CBCT scanners to maximise success. Data that can be compiled with a CBCT scanner, including bone volume, bone quality or anatomical restrictions, can be processed and evaluated in virtual implant simulation software, which can inform the guide that is used during surgery.[iv]
If a clinician has limited data available to them, they cannot reliably place an implant solution that will be long-lasting, and causing minimal damage to the surrounding anatomical structures.
Another benefit of a CBCT scanner when compared to a CT scan is the commonly reduced dose of radiation delivered with each use, making it a safer option throughout the treatment workflowii in many situations.
Maximising a return on your investment
A CBCT scanner is not an insignificant investment for a practice, and as such, you must know how you to best maximise its value.
The cost may be justified by the increase in patients you can treat. Your practice will access a greater level of income by being able to treat more patients completely in house, with more efficient workflows, which can pay back and, eventually, make profit on your initial investment. By calculating the increased income per patient, you will know how many implant patients you need to recover the cost of your imaging system. It may be smaller than you think.
The presence of a CBCT scanner in your practice could also inform a new referral program, where you can support clinicians who do not have access to an in-house CBCT unit, but want to provide dental implant care. This creates another stream of income to subsidise and eventually profit from your original investment, encouraging practice growth.
Dental practices looking to invest in a CBCT scanner should look for versatile solutions with a wide range of clinical capabilities. This could include applications such as exceptionally clear panoramic imaging, 3D model scanning, or cephalometric imaging. This way, the data available to you can be maximised, and become applicable across a range of treatment needs.
As a result, you could provide a greater range of treatments aside from improved dental implant care, maximising the return on investment by treating more patients with cases that require CBCT scans.
Managing artifacts
CBCT scanners are an effective tool when providing dental implant care, but clinicians must be aware of their limitations. In this context, artifacts can be a prominent issue. These are structures that are visualised in an image through the data that is used in a reconstruction, but are not actually present in the object that has been scanned.[v]
Implant structures may cause a beam-hardening effect due to them partially absorbing high-density X-rays.v The result is the presence of shiny bands, with a greater intensity than other areas of the CBCT image,v which can make interpretation difficult.
Luckily, with a solution like the CS 8200 3D Access from Carestream Dental, clinicians can make an instant impact on their practice. The 4-in-1 imaging solution includes features such as effective CS MAR (Metal Artifact Reduction) technology, that minimises the risk of misinterpretation when treating patients with implants. It is designed with a user-friendly and intuitive interface and workflow, creating simple examination set-ups for clinicians looking to acquire their first CBCT imaging system.
Taking on new patients in your practice requires investment into systems you can trust. Knowing how you will use your CBCT scanners, and why they are an essential component of the implant dentistry workflow, can help you closely assess the systems you choose, and recognise which features to look out for in particular.
For more information on Carestream Dental visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk
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Nimisha Nariapara Bio:
Nimisha is the Trade Marketing Manager at Carestream Dental covering the UK, Middle East, Nordics, South Africa, Russia and CIS regions. She has worked at Carestream Dental for the past 7 years, where she has developed her marketing skills and industry knowledge to bring the core values and philosophy of the company to the market.
[i] Jacobs, R., Salmon, B., Codari, M., Hassan, B., & Bornstein, M. M. (2018). Cone beam computed tomography in implant dentistry: recommendations for clinical use. BMC oral health, 18, 1-16.
[ii] Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, (2020). Dental cone beam CT scan (CBCT). NHS. (Online) Available at: https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/health-information/dental-cone-beam-ct-scan-cbct [Accessed April 2024]
[iii] Sghaireen, M. G., Srivastava, K. C., Shrivastava, D., Ganji, K. K., Patil, S. R., Abuonq, A., … & Alam, M. K. (2020). A CBCT based three-dimensional assessment of mandibular posterior region for evaluating the possibility of bypassing the inferior alveolar nerve while placing dental implants. Diagnostics, 10(6), 406.
[iv] Dioguardi, M., Spirito, F., Quarta, C., Sovereto, D., Basile, E., Ballini, A., … & Mastrangelo, F. (2023). Guided dental implant surgery: systematic review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(4), 1490.
[v] Terrabuio, B. R., Carvalho, C. G., Peralta-Mamani, M., da Silva Santos, P. S., Rubira-Bullen, I. R. F., & Rubira, C. M. F. (2021). Cone-beam computed tomography artifacts in the presence of dental implants and associated factors: an integrative review. Imaging science in dentistry, 51(2), 93.
