Dentists study cone tomography imaging

CLEVELAND, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. orthodontists are increasingly using cone beam computerized tomography to diagnose complicated oral health problems.

Scientists from the department of orthodontics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and from the Department of Dental Health and Biological Sciences at the University of Wales' College of Medicine recently conducted a study of four new CBCT systems.

"The long awaited incorporation of the third dimension to our radiographic records is now a reality," the researchers said. "There is still room for improvements; however the CBCT technology appears to be here to stay."

While the first generation scanners in 1967 gave slice-by-slice images, the researchers said the newest generation of CBCT scanners sweeps the head and face, providing multiple stacks of images to give a full head view of the bone and tissue structures in three dimensions in less than one minute, reducing radiation exposure to 20 percent of convention CT imaging systems.

The researchers said the images taken with CBCT technologies are so swift they can capture a heart beat.

The study is detailed in the December issue of the Journal of Orthodontics.