The i-CAT Cone Beam Scanner

By Steve S. Dorsch, DDS, MD

Loudoun Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

More Dental Health Articles

The i-CAT Cone Beam Scanner

The i-CAT cone beam scanner has revolutionized the way we look at patients. Traditional dental x-rays give us an excellent view of problems in and on either side of the teeth. It is very difficult, however, to see things in the front or back of the teeth because things are superimposed on the teeth themselves. They give us a two-dimensional view.

There is also distortion of the image, which varies in accordance with the angle it was taken and the distance from the object to the film. This inherently makes measuring safe distances to anatomical structures such as nerves and sinus cavities less accurate.

The i-CAT scanner is very different in that now we can see anatomic structures in three dimensions. The interactive software allows us to look at different angles, cross sections, and image slices of any bone structure in the jaws and face. Not only that, but the images are anatomically accurate; therefore essential measurements are extremely accurate. This dramatically increases safety and predictability of procedures performed.

The i-CAT is excellent for evaluating many different types of dental issues, such as impacted teeth, dental infections, trauma to the face and jaws, facial skeletal problems, and pathologic lesions of the jaws.

The i-CAT is especially important for evaluating sites for dental implants and areas that require bone grafting. It is essential to have an intimate knowledge of the surgical site prior to any procedure being performed. The scanner gives a three-dimensional view, so it is much easier to avoid important anatomical structures and be able to take advantage of all the existing bone possible. It gives us a much clearer picture of what is going on in the mouth and makes treatment planning decisions more accurate.

We can even load the information gained from the i-CAT scanner into a software program, which allows us to plan for and place implants virtually. This information is then sent to a lab, which creates a CAD/CAM surgical guide that exactly duplicates the virtual surgery performed. This allows for much more accurate placement of implants, especially in difficult situations where vital anatomic structures are at risk.

The i-CAT scanner is a powerful tool that has greatly enhanced the information we can obtain before surgery is performed. This makes treatment planning more accurate, which, in turn, makes surgery safer and more predictable. It also allows us to virtually plan and place implants and exactly duplicate the virtual surgery in our patients. It increases the probability that an optimal result will be obtained for our patient.