I am going to get some dental implants. My dentist wants to do a CT scan. Is this really necessary? He’s doing other x-rays as well. It just seems like overkill to me.
Ben
Dear Ben,
You have asked a great question. This leads to the important topic of dental implant failure. I would consider a CT scan an important diagnostic tool in the preparation for getting dental implants. You see, dental implants are a three-dimensional procedure. Because of that, you need three-dimensional images of the area. Without that there is a risk of the dentist or oral surgeon hitting a nerve or perforating your sinus cavity.
It’s important to make sure that you have enough bone structure to support a dental implant. Without that, your implant will not stay retained. The good news is, even if you don’t have enough bone support, there is a bone grafting procedure that can build up that missing bone and give you the support you need.
Truthfully, though, if you have the right dentist he or she will make sure that you have adequate diagnostics that tell you whether you are a good candidate immediately or if you need some stuff done to become a good candidate.
Dental implants are not adequately taught in dental school. You need a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training in placing dental implants. Take a look at Dr. Becker’s training credentials to get an idea of what type of dentist you will want if you are getting dental implants.
A question we often get is should a patient have an oral surgeon versus a dentist for the surgical portion. You can do either. The key is that it is the dentist who determines where the implants go, not the surgeon. Because of that, make certain you see the dentist first.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.