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Lower-dose 3D scans with i-CAT® FLX
Cone Beam 3D scanning is being
integrated into the imaging protocol
of orthodontists who want an
improved and more accurate view
of the teeth, roots, TMJ, airway,
sinuses, bone, and all of their
detailed spatial relationships.
SEAN CARLSON
DMD, MS
When
QuickScan+
protocols can
be used, they
will provide
a clinically
meaningful
reduction
in dose.
With it, we can calculate the optimal directions
of orthodontic forces, determine anchorage
requirements, obtain detailed measurements
of airway, and access other details that affect
our patient’s dental and physical health. All
of this data facilitates more precise orthodontic treatment. However, some wonder if the
X-ray exposure will compromise their ability to adhere to radiation protocols following
the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable)
principle. The answer is a resounding “no.” In
fact, Cone Beam 3D scanning can be done with
less exposure.
A new study by Dr. John Ludlow, one of the
foremost experts on X-ray dosimetry and
effective dose related to dental imaging, shows
that 3D information can be obtained with lower
radiation dose than traditional 2D imaging
methods. Dr. Ludlow’s analysis notes that
i-CAT® FLX QuickScan+ scans expose patients
to less effective dose than the combined doses
of representative modern 2D digital panoramic
and cephalometric radiographs.
The Ludlow study notes, “We have shown that
the QuickScan+ protocol provided a substantial 87% reduction in dose compared with
the standard exposure protocols in both child
and adult phantoms. Thus, when QuickScan+
protocols can be used, they will provide a
clinically meaningful reduction in dose.”
The study is also significant to orthodontists
because measurements were surveyed for both
adults and children. The study continues,
“The largest Quick Scan+ dose recorded in this
study (18 µSv) was for the 13 x 16-cm child
cephalometric scan. This dose is little more
than two days of per capita background radiation in the United States. The full FOV QuickScan+ protocols are also less than the combined doses of representative modern digital
2-dimensional panoramic and cephalometric
radiographs (14-24 and 4 µSv, respectively).”
With the i-CAT FLX, orthodontists reap the
benefits of 3D imaging at less than half the
radiation dose.
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Sidekick | Spring 2014
To hear more about lower radiation dose in 3D
Cone Beam imaging, listen to Dr. Carlson’s
podcast at: http://hnrysc.hn/OrthoPodcast or scan
the QR code with your mobile device.
About the Author:
Dr. Sean Carlson is a board certified orthodontist
who received his dental degree from Harvard
University in 1994, where he was awarded the
American Association of Orthodontists Award.
He received his orthodontic specialty training and
his master of science degree in oral biology from
the University of California at San Francisco. He
is currently an associate professor of orthodontics
at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry
and maintains a private practice in Mill Valley,
California. Dr. Carlson is a senior investigator in
the Craniofacial Research and Instrumentation
Laboratory at the University of the Pacific. He
has served as principal investigator for a series
of research grants and has published numerous
papers and abstracts on a variety of clinical and
theoretical subjects.