Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Dentistry

Imaging is an important diagnostic adjunct to the clinical assessment of the dental patients. Since the discovery of x-ray, dental radiology has played a vital role in diagnosis of diseases. With the expanding array of imaging modalities, dental radiology has played revolutionary role in determining diagnosis, treatment plan and prognostic value. application in dentistry has been limited because of cost, access, and dose considerations. During the last decades, an exciting new array of imaging modalities, such as digital imaging, CT, MRI, positron emission tomography, and cone-beam CT (CBCT), has provided astounding new images that continually contribute to the accuracy of diagnostic tasks of the maxillofacial region. The most recent, cone-beam imaging, is gaining rapid acceptance in dentistry because it provides cross-sectional imaging that is often a valuable supplement to intraoral and panoramic radiographs. The information content in such examinations is high and the dose and costs are low. The increasing trend toward the use of CBCT in dental offices may be expected to result in improved diagnosis.