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Oasis Podcasts Oral Radiology

What are the clinical indications for CBCT?

DM PicturePodcast Icon SmallThis series of posts is based on Dr. John O’Keefe’s conversation with  Dr. David MacDonald about cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to the Audio Interview

 

Interview Highlights

  • Conventional dental radiography is essential in the primary diagnosis for almost every dental problem that requires radiography. It imparts a much lower radiation dose and has far superior spatial resolution. Conventional radiography imparts a much lower radiation dose and has far superior spatial resolution. 
  • There are skilled surgeons and implantologists who possess tremendous experience and can safely place implants without the need for CBCT for at least some of their patients. If you do not yet have that skill or experience, the safest option for you and your patient is to use CBCT as part of your pre-implant planning. 
  • Clinicians should not inadvertently place the implant into the mandibular canal, submandibular fossa or maxillary sinus and into the canals running to the lingual foramen at the midline. That is where branches from the lingual artery are to be found. It is important to identify them prior to surgery to avoid provoking a sublingual haemorrhage. This is potentially life-threatening and has so far resulted in the publication of two dozen reports. Therefore, with these mishaps in mind, appropriate use of CBCT may reduce the possibility of them occurring.

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Dr. David MacDonald

After winning his dental fellowship in Glasgow, In London Dr. MacDonald acquired his MSc in Oral Pathology, his Diploma in Dental Radiology of the Royal College of Radiologists and his law degree. His first specialist appointment was as Head of Radiology in Hong Kong, then Edinburgh, then Bergen and finally UBC in late 2003. His research interests are the radiology of the most frequent & important lesions affecting jaws and the application of systematic review to radiology. In 2008 he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in Edinburgh and passed his fellowship examination of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. His Wiley-Blackwell textbook was published in 2011; it has so far received 3 outstanding reviews. This evidence-based textbook also uniquely covered the advanced radiology not only of the face & jaws, but also the neck and the base of the skull. The dentist’s understanding of the last areas is essential in our now cone-beam CT-dominated climate. 

 

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