Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

27March 14-20, 2011United Kingdom Edition Special Feature A-dec 300 To learn more, contact A-dec at 0800 233 285 or call your local authorised A-dec Dealer. Visit our website: www.a-dec.co.uk A-dec Dental UK Ltd Austin House, 11 Liberty Way, Nuneaton, Warks, CV11 6RZ. Tel: 024 7635 0901 Fax: 024 7634 5106 Email: info@a-dec.co.uk Chairs Delivery Systems Lights Monitor Mounts Cabinets Maintenance Infection Control ©2010 A-dec® Inc. All rights reserved. Simple. Smart. Streamlined. A-dec 300 is designed for the health of your practice. Because your every movement counts, every detail matters. That’s why A-dec 300 is setting a new benchmark for optimal ergonomics, smart efficiencies, and lasting value. By asking what’s going to help you feel great at the end of the day, A-dec has arrived at a treatment room solution that ensures an easy, continuous flow that is as healthy as it is natural. In a world that demands dependability, A-dec delivers a proven solution without a single compromise. A-dec 300 streamlined.indd 1 03/11/2010 15:38:15 that overall exposure levels for CBCT systems, whilst high- er than those used for con- ventional dental radiography, were nonetheless lower than those for CT.3 A further study in 2008 confirmed the benefits of CBCT: “Dental cone beam CT scan- ners provided adequate image quality for dento-maxillofacial examinations while delivering considerably smaller effective doses to patients compared to the multi slice CT.”4 To further limit radiation exposure, the HPA also recom- mends that clinicians consider purchasing equipment that enables both large and small Fields of View (FOV) as this can lower the dose to patients by focusing only on the essential parts of the image.5 Other than safety, the advan- tage to using CBCT is that its powerful software and accurate scanning capabilities produce a superior image. The cone beam scanner can pick up con- siderably more information than a traditional flat plate x- ray and the data is processed and interpreted more quickly and more efficiently by the associated software. The HPA have noted, however, that CBCT should not yet replace conven- tional CT imaging completely because of limitations in CBCT with regards to the level of soft tissue detail that the scan- ners are capable of generating. The imaging quality is still suffi- cient in most cases however and, given that the image is 3D, CBCT s c a n n e r s can prove a consid- e r a b l e boost to d i - agnos- t i c s a n d treat- ment. T h i s , c o m - b i n e d w i t h the rela- tive safe- ty, led the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency to conclude that, with regards to a compari- son with CT scanners: “The image quality of 3D images produced with CBCT is evidenced to be as good as or better than conventional CT for most examinations at a signifi- cantly reduced dose.”6 However, it should be noted that not all CBCT systems were born equal. A machine may out perform others in one area, but fall behind in another, so it is important for clinicians to con- sider all their options before deciding which piece of equip- ment is best for them. DT About the author Neil Sanderson Carestream Dental For more informa- tion please call Carestream Den- tal on 0800 169 9692 or visit www. carestreamdental. co.uk ‘This is an invaluable tool in dentistry as it affords a comprehensive view of the pa- tient’s dento-maxillofacial anatomy’ References 1 Holroyd and Gulson, The Radiation Protection Implications of the use of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) in Dentistry - What you need to Know, HPA, July 2009, p. 3 2 HPA Guidance at: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/Radiation/HPARPDSeries- Reports/HPARPD065/ Accessed 5/11/10. 3 NHS Purchasing ad supply Agency, Evaluation Report: Dental cone beam computed tomography systems (CEP10048: March 2010), p.11 4 Kiljunen,T., Patient doses in ct, dental cone beam ct and projection radiography in Fin- land, with emphasis on paediatric patients, Nov 2008, p.3 at: http://www.google.co.uk/url? sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=6&ved=0CCoQFjAF&url=https%3A%2F%2Foa.doria.fi%2Fb itstream%2Fhandle%2F10024%2F42702%2Fpatientd.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1&ei=GYUHTP- AMJOt4QbO_olw&usg=AFQjCNHUJ8KFLDeVl1_MQLSnLMsWZqgx4A 5 NHS Purchas- ing ad supply Agency, Evaluation Report: Dental cone beam computed tomography systems (CEP10048: March 2010), Summary, p.4 6 NHS Purchasing ad supply Agency, Evaluation Report: Dental cone beam computed tomography systems (CEP10048: March 2010), p.13