On the day of the scheduled procedure, the patient’s mother stopped short of the impacted canine extraction appointment to get a second opinion from an orthodontist. She was worried about unnecessary tooth extractions. It turns out, she was right. A three-dimensional CBCT scan identified the bone surrounding each tooth to determine the position of the impaction, their relationship with the adjacent incisors and ultimately a change in treatment.
Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) has specific and unique diagnostic benefits in orthodontics including the assessment of tooth location and position, stage of development and status of adjacent teeth. CBCT enables the clinician to be able to evaluate anomalies in dental position, such as impactions and ectopic teeth, where it brings significant value to diagnosis and treatment planning.
In this clinical case, a patient with impacted maxillary canines was re-evaluated using an i-CAT FLX from KaVo Imaging (manufactured by Imaging Sciences International LLC) The 3D views allowed for better determination of the clinical status of the patient by bringing more clarity to the labiolingual relationships of the impactions and the identification of any associated complications, such as root resorption in adjacent incisors.
“The i-CAT FLX paid for itself that day by delivering a clear diagnostic path that allowed me to comfort the troubled mother”, said Dr. Dischinger, “a non-extraction treatment plan was not only possible, but clearly a better path for the success of her daughter’s long term oral health”. Working closely with the OMS, he was able to grab the impacted lateral and pull it into place with no surgical extraction involved.
It’s always a good idea to get a second opinion, especially when the recommended treatment involves the loss of a precious tooth. Click below to read more about this case and how the i-CAT FLX V-Series from KaVo Imaging (manufactured by Imaging Sciences International LLC) can aid your practice.
