Your Norton Dentist

"Patients are exposed
to 98% less radiation,
limiting the possibility
of health risks associated
with radiation exposure"

Advanced Dental Care of Norton offers CAT Scan exams which are completed quickly with advanced imaging techniques in a comfortable and friendly environment.  For your convenience, we have provided our CT Scan Referral form printable pdf format at the bottom of this page.  Be sure to bring it with you at your CT Scan appointment.

If you are considering dental implants, Advanced Dental Care of Norton can now take advantage of a new procedure called a Dental CT Scan to make this surgery even safer and more predictable.


What is a Dental CT Scan?
Dental CT Scans use advanced computer programs to analyze an X-ray study. By providing detailed two-dimensional and three-dimensional images, Dental CT Scans enable Advanced Dental Care of Norton or your dentist to select the best location for your implants and plan the details of your surgery with pinpoint accuracy, well before the operation.


How does a Dental CT Scan differ from conventional X-rays?
Routine dental x-rays are two-dimensional; they only show the location of your teeth and the height of the bone. These x-rays are often distorted, and they cannot depict the thickness of your jawbone.

A Dental CT Scan, on the other hand, is distortion free. It illustrates the actual make-up of the bone and provides three-dimensional and cross-sectional views of your jaws. The life-sized images allow your dentist to accurately measure the amount of bone that is available for implants.


So why do I need such a specialized X-ray?
Dental CT Scans help your dentist determine whether you are a good candidate for implant surgery.

This can save you an unnecessary operation. Because the study tells your dentist a lot more than conventional x-rays, it helps him or her better prepare for your surgery. A Dental CT Scan means your dentist will know the exact location of anatomical structures, the contours of the jaw bone, and the best sites for your implants before surgery. This means that there are virtually no surprises when your dentist performs your surgery. That means less operating time, and fewer complications for you. By sending you for this type of study your dentist is providing you with the very best possible care.

Do I need to do anything special? And what will happen to me during the CT scan?
You do not need to prepare for the CT scan. You may be asked to remove any jewelry from your head and neck, so that it does not interfere with the study. Once in the examination room, all that you have to do is to rest face up on the CT scanner bed. Your head will be comfortably cushioned on a padded cradle, and a Velcro strap will hold your head so that it remains still.

Keeping still for those few minutes that the scan takes, is very important so that clear pictures are obtained. Your dentist may provide you with a mouthpiece to bite on; this will separate your jaws and help you to keep them still. The rest is even easier. The bed will slide through the CT scanner and the study will take place.

The radiographer will explain each stage before it happens. You will not feel anything and the only part of your body under the scanner will be your head. In less than 15 minutes you will be finished.

After the scan the radiographer will give the final results to your dentist. And that's all there is to it!


What about the radiation aspects?
Advanced Dental Care uses the Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scanner which is compact in size and the relatively low radiation dosage of the CBCT scanner makes it ideally suited for imaging the craniofacial region, including dental structures.  Click here to learn more about the Conebeam CT Scan.

CT Referral Form