Anuraag B. Choudhary
Imaging is an important diagnostic adjunct to theclinical assessment of the dental patient. Thecurrently used imaging modalities include intra-oralradiographs, panoramic radiographs, magneticresonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography(CT) including cone-beam (CB) CT, ultrasonography(US), and nuclear medicine including positron Emission tomography (PET).The introduction of panoramic radiography in the1960’s and its widespread adoption throughout the1970’s and 80’s heralded major progress in dentalradiology - providing clinicians with a singlecomprehensive image of both jaws and maxillofacialstructures. However both intraoral and extraoralprocedures, used individually or in combination,suffer from the same inherent limitations of all planartwo dimensional (2D) projections - magnification,distortion, superimposition and misrepresentation ofstructures. The cone-beam technique (CBCT or DVT) is themost recent advance in computer-assistedtomography. Initial studies using phantomshave confirmed a geometric accuracy of upto tenthsof millimeters. Advanced cross-sectional imaging techniques are used in dento-maxillofacial imaging to solve complex diagnosticand treatment-planning problems, such as those encountered in craniofacial fractures, endosseous dental-implantplanning, and orthodontics, among others. With the advent of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)technology, cross-sectional imaging that had previously been outsourced to medical CT scanners has begun to takeplace in dental offices. CBCT or Digital volume tomography is a novel technique for maxillofacial imaging at alower radiation dose and lower cost than CT. The introduction of CBCT specifically dedicated to imaging themaxillofacial region heralds a true paradigm shift. The unprecedented interest in CBCT from all fields of dentistry isbecause it has created a revolution in maxillofacial imaging - facilitating the transition of dental imaging from 2D to3D images and expanding the role of imaging from diagnosis to image guidance of operative and surgicalprocedures via third party applications software. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of this CBCTtechnology and review its capabilities with specific applications in clinical practice.