Treatment Planning For Dental Implants
After the initial consultation each of our patients receive a treatment plan detailing which treatment or procedure they will require. During the initial assessment , the options and alternatives of treatment will be discussed. The comprehensive treatment plans explains how many appointments one will need and when each of the appointments will be. The treatment plan also details clearly the costings involved at each stage of your treatment.
Panoramic radiograph
During the initial consultation the dentist may take radio-graphs (X-rays) of your mouth in order to visualize what treatment is best suited for you. Photographs and models of your mouth are also very useful in compiling your treatment plan. The panoramic radio-graph is one of several types of radio-graph which we use to help diagnose dental problems. The panoramic radio-graph image captures all the teeth in the mouth, the upper and lower jaw bone as well as the temperomandibular joints. The panoramic is a mirror image of your mouth and the capital R on the lower left hand corner is a reminder that this is actually the right side.
Treatment plan illustration
The panoramic radio-graph is sometimes used to illustrate the treatment plan for each patient. The illustration is done during the initial consultation with each patient. By understanding the treatment plan the patient is able to clearly see what is to be carried out during the treatment phases. Implants can be placed virtually into spaces which exist. Patients generally find this exercise very useful as together we are able to see what is possible.
CT scan image of upper jaw, accurate 1:1 measurements of bone can be made
In many cases we need to ascertain the exact amount of bone prior to placing an implant. Radio-graphs do provide some information however most radio-graphs only provide images in 2 dimensions. This means that although we are able to see that bone exists where implants are to be placed, we cant be 100% certain of this until we see the area of interest in 3 dimensions. In these cases we recommend take a low dose CT scan using our in house CBCT (cone beam computer tomography) Scanner. The 3 dimensional images from a CBCT provide accurate and exact measurements of the area of interest. Unlike conventional radio-graphs CT images are not magnified hence are more accurate for treatment planning.