{"id":7771,"date":"2025-05-24T16:00:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T20:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/?p=7771"},"modified":"2026-03-12T21:55:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T01:55:35","slug":"dental-cbct-scan-cone-beam-computed-tomography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/dental-cbct-scan-cone-beam-computed-tomography\/","title":{"rendered":"6 key uses for Dental CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In this page, we&#8217;ll discuss <strong>Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)<\/strong> Scan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I was a kid, I enjoyed making animations by flipping pages. Each picture was a static image, but when combined, they created an animation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"GROW flipbook\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J2xrN5WQuxw?start=5&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, with CBCT, multiple 2-dimensional images are combined to create a <strong>3-dimensional image<\/strong>. This allows us to see details that are not visible with conventional X-rays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"632\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D_2-1024x632.jpg?v=1748113026\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7773\" style=\"width:715px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D_2-1024x632.jpg?v=1749262708 1024w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D_2-300x185.jpg?v=1749262708 300w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D_2-768x474.jpg?v=1749262708 768w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D_2.jpg?v=1749262708 1471w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, I will discuss six key uses of dental CBCT in dentistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Planning Dental Implants:<\/strong> By analyzing bone shape in a three-dimensional view, we can find the optimal position and angle for dental implants. After planning, we create a surgical guide to accurately transfer the plan to the actual surgery. (Please check out our information on dental implant surgical guides!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"766\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_01_Implant-planning_2.jpg?v=1748113986\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7775\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_01_Implant-planning_2.jpg?v=1749262708 766w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_01_Implant-planning_2-300x238.jpg?v=1749262708 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 766px) 100vw, 766px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Endodontics (Root Canal Treatment):<\/strong> CBCT allows for a more thorough evaluation of endodontic issues, such as periapical lesions, which are difficult to assess with regular X-rays. It also helps us evaluate healing after successful root canal treatment.*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"811\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_20_Apical-lesion-811x1024.jpg?v=1748114020\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7776\" style=\"width:554px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_20_Apical-lesion-811x1024.jpg?v=1749262708 811w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_20_Apical-lesion-238x300.jpg?v=1749262708 238w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_20_Apical-lesion-768x969.jpg?v=1749262708 768w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_20_Apical-lesion.jpg?v=1749262708 927w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 811px) 100vw, 811px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Periodontics (Gum Disease):<\/strong> Periodontitis, also known as gum disease, is a chronic inflammatory condition that damages the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Traditionally, diagnosis relied on tactile sensation, which could be uncomfortable for patients and wasn&#8217;t always accurate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"724\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Perio_Probing-724x1024.jpg?v=1748114157\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7778\" style=\"width:479px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Perio_Probing-724x1024.jpg?v=1749262708 724w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Perio_Probing-212x300.jpg?v=1749262708 212w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Perio_Probing-768x1086.jpg?v=1749262708 768w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Perio_Probing.jpg?v=1749262708 861w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to CBCT, we can now diagnose gum disease easily and accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"913\" height=\"817\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_40_Periodontitis.jpg?v=1748114090\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_40_Periodontitis.jpg?v=1749262708 913w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_40_Periodontitis-300x268.jpg?v=1749262708 300w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_40_Periodontitis-768x687.jpg?v=1749262708 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 913px) 100vw, 913px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Sinus Issues:<\/strong> Last month, a 15-year-old boy was referred to me regarding pain on his upper left side. He complained of pain in his upper left first molar, but his dentist couldn&#8217;t find any issues with the tooth, which sometimes leads to unnecessary root canal treatment. I gathered more information from him. The boy complained of not only tooth pain but also pain when moving his head or running. Sometimes, sinus inflammation can cause tooth pain, and I confirmed this with CBCT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1011\" height=\"368\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Sinus02.jpg?v=1748114318\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7779\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Sinus02.jpg?v=1749262708 1011w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Sinus02-300x109.jpg?v=1749262708 300w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_50_Sinus02-768x280.jpg?v=1749262708 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1011px) 100vw, 1011px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The red square area in the image appears fuzzy compared to the green square, indicating a sinus issue. I confirmed his maxillary sinusitis by checking for seasonal allergies, and his symptoms disappeared after taking allergy medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Wisdom Teeth Assessment:<\/strong> Many wisdom teeth are impacted, and it&#8217;s often difficult to predict their exact shape and their relationship to the inferior alveolar nerve using traditional x-rays. Three-dimensional CBCT imaging provides the surgeon with the precise relationship, leading to more accurate diagnoses and safer treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"728\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_60_WisdomTeeth-1024x728.jpg?v=1748115585\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_60_WisdomTeeth-1024x728.jpg?v=1749262708 1024w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_60_WisdomTeeth-300x213.jpg?v=1749262708 300w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_60_WisdomTeeth-768x546.jpg?v=1749262708 768w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_60_WisdomTeeth.jpg?v=1749262708 1510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6. Orthodontics (Invisalign, Clear Aligners, Teeth Straightening):<\/strong> This is a newer application for CBCT in dentistry, but Invisalign and clear aligner patients can greatly benefit. In orthodontics, teeth (specifically their roots) move within the bone. Traditionally, we estimated root shapes based on the visible crown. Now, with 3D root and bone images from CBCT, we eliminate guesswork. This allows for more accurate simulation of root movements, ensuring the best possible outcome for your teeth straightening journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"573\" height=\"396\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_70_Invisalign.jpg?v=1748115732\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_70_Invisalign.jpg?v=1749262707 573w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_70_Invisalign-300x207.jpg?v=1749262707 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 573px) 100vw, 573px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At Boston Finesse Dentistry &amp; Implant Center, we use the most up-to-date <strong>Vatech CBCT X-12<\/strong>. It covers both the upper and lower jaw in one shot, taking less than 10 seconds, while also reducing radiation dose. For more information about dental CBCT, please reach out to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"516\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_90_Vatech2-516x1024.jpg?v=1748116752\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_90_Vatech2-516x1024.jpg?v=1749262707 516w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_90_Vatech2-151x300.jpg?v=1749262707 151w, https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_90_Vatech2.jpg?v=1749262707 541w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 516px) 100vw, 516px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ready to take the next step?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are looking for more in-depth resources, patient success stories, and the latest research on dental implants, visit our dedicated educational hub at <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/bostonimplant.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BostonImplant.com<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s our mission to be the most trusted source for implant dentistry in the Greater Boston area. Schedule your consultation today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Finesse Dental &amp; Implant Center of Boston<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>617-286-6515 (Call\/Text)<br><a href=\"mailto:support@FinesseBoston.com\">support@BostonImplant.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>183 Essex St, Boston, MA 02111<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d5897.106342479213!2d-71.057471!3d42.352049!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x89e37a789e25d89d%3A0x92c24326e85eb72b!2sFinesse%20Dentistry%20%26%20Implant%20Center!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1768362970055!5m2!1sen!2sus\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" style=\"border:0;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sub>* Mosquera-Barreiro, C., Ru\u00edz-Pi\u00f1\u00f3n, M., Sans, F.A., Nagendrababu, V., Vinothkumar, T.S., Mart\u00edn-Gonz\u00e1lez, J. et al. (2024) Predictors of periapical bone healing associated with teeth having large periapical lesions following nonsurgical root canal treatment or retreatment: A cone beam computed tomography-based retrospective study. International Endodontic Journal, 57, 23\u201336. Available from:<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this page, we&#8217;ll discuss Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Scan. When I was a kid, I enjoyed making animations by flipping pages. Each picture was a static image, but when combined, they created an animation. Similarly, with CBCT, multiple 2-dimensional images are combined to create a 3-dimensional image. This allows us to see details [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dentistry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D.jpg?v=1749262707",1365,768,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D-150x150.jpg?v=1749262707",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D-300x169.jpg?v=1749262707",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D-768x432.jpg?v=1749262707",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D-1024x576.jpg?v=1749262707",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D.jpg?v=1749262707",1365,768,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CBCT_00_3D.jpg?v=1749262707",1365,768,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Sang Lee, DMD","author_link":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/author\/slee\/"},"uagb_comment_info":25,"uagb_excerpt":"In this page, we&#8217;ll discuss Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Scan. When I was a kid, I enjoyed making animations by flipping pages. Each picture was a static image, but when combined, they created an animation. Similarly, with CBCT, multiple 2-dimensional images are combined to create a 3-dimensional image. This allows us to see details&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7771"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7984,"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7771\/revisions\/7984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finessedentalboston.com\/implants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}