Dental CT Scans
Most dental problems can be diagnosed with an examination and ordinary X-rays. Sometimes, though, we need to see your jaw in three dimensions. This guide explains what a dental CT scan is, when it's worth having, and what to expect.
What Is a Dental CT Scan and Do I Need One in Edinburgh?
A dental CT scan, or cone beam CT, is a 3D X-ray of your teeth and jaws that shows bone height, width and density, nerves and sinuses in a way flat X-rays can't. It's used when a 3D view will change the treatment, such as planning implants, complex wisdom teeth or difficult root canals. Comely Bank Dental has a CT scanner on site in Edinburgh, so there's no referral elsewhere, and a scan is £160.
What Is a Dental CT Scan?
A dental CT scan is a 3D X-ray of your teeth, jaws and the surrounding structures. The type used in dental practices is called cone beam CT (CBCT). Instead of taking a single flat picture, the scanner rotates around your head once, taking a series of images from many angles. Software then builds these into a three-dimensional model that we can view from any direction and slice through at any point, a bit like moving through the pages of a book.
At Comely Bank Dental we have a cone beam CT scanner on site in Edinburgh. If you need a scan, it's taken in the practice by our own team, usually at the same visit or the next one, and reviewed by the dentist planning your care. There's no referral to a hospital or a separate imaging centre and no waiting for results to be sent back.
A scan is £160. It's only taken when it's clinically justified, which we explain below.
What Can a CT Scan Show That Ordinary X-Rays Can't?
Standard dental X-rays are flat, two-dimensional pictures. They're excellent for many jobs, but they have limits:
- Overlap. Everything in the path of the beam is squashed into one image, so structures in front of and behind each other overlap.
- No width. A flat X-ray shows the height of the bone but not its thickness from cheek to tongue, which matters enormously for implants.
- Distortion. Some types of X-ray stretch or shrink parts of the image, so measurements aren't fully reliable.
A cone beam scan solves these problems. It can show: - The exact height, width and quality of the jawbone - The position of the nerve that runs through the lower jaw and supplies feeling to the lip and chin - The floor of the sinuses above the upper back teeth - Wisdom teeth and other buried teeth, and how close their roots are to nerves - Extra or curved root canals, some cracks, and areas of infection at the root tip that flat X-rays can miss - Cysts and other changes in the bone
It's less useful for soft tissues such as the gums and muscles, which don't show up well.
Wondering If You Need a Scan?
Book an appointment and we'll examine you first, explain whether a 3D scan would help, and agree any fees with you in writing before it's taken.
When Is a Dental CT Scan Used?
We recommend a scan when a 3D view is likely to change the treatment or make it safer. The most common reasons are:
Planning dental implants. This is the main reason. Dr Kalsi uses the MegaGen R2 guided surgery system: your implants are planned on the CT scan, together with a digital scan of your teeth, and placed through a 3D-printed surgical guide. Planning from the scan lets us choose the size, angle and position of each implant before surgery and see whether a bone graft is needed.
Full-arch implants. Placing four or more implants across a jaw needs a complete picture of the bone and the position of the nerves and sinuses.
Wisdom teeth. When a lower wisdom tooth's roots appear close to the nerve on a standard X-ray, a scan shows the exact relationship, which helps us judge the risks of removal.
Difficult root canals. Where a tooth isn't settling, or the anatomy looks unusual, a small scan can reveal a missed canal or other problem. See our root canal treatment page.
Other uses. Investigating swellings or cysts, locating buried teeth, and assessing the bone around existing implants.
When Isn't a CT Scan Needed?
Having a CT scanner on site doesn't mean everyone gets a scan. We follow the principle that every X-ray, of any kind, must be justified: the benefit to you has to outweigh the small risk from the radiation.
A scan is not usually needed for: - Routine dental examinations. Small bitewing X-rays remain the best way to find decay between back teeth. - Fillings and most crowns. A standard X-ray gives us what we need. - Gum disease assessment. Probing and standard X-rays are normally enough. - Most straightforward extractions. - Invisalign treatment in most cases. Teeth are planned from an iTero digital scan, which uses no radiation at all.
We'll also use the smallest scan that answers the question. If we only need to look at one tooth, we scan a small area rather than the whole jaw, which keeps the dose lower.
How Much Radiation Is Involved?
Cone beam CT uses more radiation than standard dental X-rays but generally much less than a conventional medical CT scan of the head.
The dose depends mainly on the size of the area scanned. For a typical dental scan it's broadly comparable to the natural background radiation we're all exposed to over somewhere between a few days and a few weeks of everyday life in the UK, depending on the scanner settings and the area covered. Small scans of a few teeth sit at the lower end; larger scans of both jaws are higher.
To keep exposure as low as reasonably achievable: - We only scan when it will genuinely help your treatment - We scan the smallest area that will answer the clinical question - We use settings suited to the task - We don't repeat scans unnecessarily
Pregnancy. Please tell us if you are, or might be, pregnant. Dental scans are usually postponed during pregnancy unless they're essential.
Children. Children are more sensitive to radiation, so scans in children are kept to clear clinical need.
What Happens at a CT Scan Appointment?
The scan itself is quick and painless.
- Getting ready. We'll ask you to remove anything metal from your head and neck: earrings, necklaces, glasses, hair clips, hearing aids and any removable denture or brace. Metal causes streaks on the image.
- Positioning. You stand or sit in the scanner and rest your chin on a support. A light guide helps us line you up. Sometimes we ask you to bite gently on a small block.
- The scan. The arm rotates around your head once, usually in well under a minute. All you need to do is stay still, breathe normally and keep your tongue resting on the roof of your mouth.
- Afterwards. The images are processed straight away, and we go through them with you, often on screen, so you can see your own jaw in 3D.
You can drive, return to work and eat normally afterwards. If you're claustrophobic, it's worth knowing the scanner is open around your face; nothing closes over you.
Who Interprets the Scan?
A cone beam scan contains a lot of information, including areas outside the teeth such as the sinuses and parts of the jaw joint. It's examined by a trained dentist, who reports on what's relevant to your treatment and on anything else that needs attention.
Occasionally a scan shows something unrelated to the reason it was taken. If so, we'll explain it to you and, where necessary, refer you for further advice.
We keep the scan in your records. It's a useful baseline: if you have implants placed, a future scan of the same area can be compared with it.
How Much Does a Dental CT Scan Cost?
A CT scan at Comely Bank Dental in Edinburgh is £160. Because the scanner is in the practice, there's no separate referral or imaging centre bill.
Your implant consultation is free. If, after examining you, Dr Kalsi feels a scan is needed to plan your treatment, he'll explain why before it's taken. When you go ahead with treatment, your written treatment plan sets out every fee, so you know what's included before anything starts.
If you're considering implants, you can book a free implant consultation at our practice in Comely Bank, a few minutes' walk from Stockbridge. You can read about our other equipment on our technology page.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.