Dental CT Scans Explained
Why implant planning needs a 3D picture, when we take a scan and when we don't, what the radiation dose means in practice, and how the scan turns into a surgical guide.
What Does a Dental CT Scan Show, and Is It Safe?
A dental CT scan (also called CBCT, for cone beam CT) is a three-dimensional X-ray of your jaws that shows the width and height of the bone, the nerve in the lower jaw, the sinuses and the tooth roots, detail a flat X-ray can't give. Its dose sits between a small dental X-ray and a hospital body scan, nearer the low end, and we'd only suggest one where the answer changes what we do for you. In Hamilton the scan is £160 on our own scanner, and it's included in full-arch fees.
Flat X-Ray Versus 3D Scan
A normal dental X-ray is like a photograph taken from one side. You can see roughly how tall the bone is and the outline of the roots, but everything is squashed into one plane. You can't tell how thick the bone is from cheek to tongue, or exactly how deep the nerve runs.
A cone beam CT scan captures a whole block of the jaw in three dimensions. On screen we can rotate it, slice through it at any angle and take measurements to a fraction of a millimetre. For implants, that turns guesswork into planning.
What the Scan Shows
- Bone width and height where a tooth is missing, which decides whether an implant fits and what size
- Bone quality, roughly how dense or soft it is
- The inferior alveolar nerve, the channel inside the lower jaw carrying sensation to your lower lip
- The sinus floor above the upper back teeth, which is often close to the ridge
- Neighbouring roots, so an implant doesn't come too near them
- Hidden problems such as old infection, cysts or retained root fragments
Thinking About Implants?
Book a free implant consultation in Hamilton. If a scan is needed, it's usually taken at the same visit.
When We Take One
| Situation | Why a scan helps |
|---|---|
| Single or multiple implants | To choose the implant's size, position and angle safely |
| Possible bone graft | To see whether there's enough bone or how much needs rebuilding |
| Implant-retained dentures | To pick the best spots for the implants the denture clips onto |
| Full-arch treatment | To plan angled implants that avoid the nerve and sinus, often without grafting |
| Assessing a problem implant | To see how much bone is left around it |
For routine dental examinations we use small digital X-rays, which give all the detail needed at a fraction of the dose. Every CT scan has to be justified, meaning we only take one when the 3D information will change what we do. If you don't need one, we'll tell you.
Radiation, Explained
Any X-ray involves a small amount of ionising radiation, so the rule is the lowest exposure that still answers the clinical question. Compared with a single small film, a cone beam scan gives more, since it captures a larger volume, but a much smaller dose than a medical CT scan in hospital, which covers more of the body. To keep it low, we limit the scanned area to the part of the jaw we actually need and use the lowest settings that still give a clear picture.
UK regulations require a clinician to justify every X-ray exposure. That's why a scan can't simply be booked on request. If you are, or might be, pregnant, let us know: planning implants can almost always wait, and we'd normally hold off.
What It's Like
It's quick and nothing touches you apart from a chin rest and a small bite block. You'll take off glasses, earrings, hair clips, necklaces and any removable denture, because metal near the head blurs the picture. You stand or sit still for a few seconds while the machine's arm makes a single circuit of your head. There's no tunnel and no injection.
The images appear on screen within a minute or two. At your consultation Dr Sharma will go through them with you, showing you the ridge, the nerve canal and the spot we'd choose for an implant. You can have a copy.
From Scan to Surgery
The scan is where the treatment plan begins. On the 3D model, Dr Sharma places a virtual implant, adjusting its length, width, angle and depth to suit your bone and keep a safe margin from the nerve and sinus. He also plans where the crown will sit, so the implant points in the right direction for the tooth on top.
That plan is used to print a surgical guide, which fits in your mouth on surgery day and steers each MegaGen AnyRidge implant into the planned position using MegaGen's R2 guided system. Because the position is known beforehand, the opening in the gum can often be smaller. For full-arch cases, the temporary teeth can be made in advance too. If you've been told elsewhere, from a flat X-ray alone, that implants aren't possible, a scan is a good basis for a second opinion.
Cost
| Scan | Fee |
|---|---|
| CT scan | £160 (£144 for plan members) |
| CT scan, referred by another clinician | £160 |
| Full-arch treatment, per arch (scan built in) | From £12,500 |
| Small X-ray (free for plan members) | £10 |
The implant consultation is free, with a £40 booking deposit returned within 7 days of attending. The scan is charged only if you need one. With full-arch work, one price per jaw covers the scan, planning, extractions, implants, guided placement, and the temporary and permanent teeth. 1 Our implant cost guide lists the rest.
For Referring Dentists
Dentists and other registered clinicians in Hamilton, across Lanarkshire and beyond can send patients to us for cone beam imaging (£160) or an iTero Lumina intraoral scan (£120). 1 We send the scan back securely as DICOM files within 48 hours, ready for your planning software. We supply the images, not a written radiology report.
Patients can't refer themselves for an X-ray, but anyone can book a free consultation, and if a scan is justified it can be taken then. You'll find the referral form on our referrals page, and the rest of our equipment on the 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.