Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
Cone beam imaging in Pompano Beach gives Dr. Nicole M. Berger a three-dimensional view of your teeth, roots, jawbone, nerves and sinuses in a single ten-second scan, where a conventional X-ray shows a flat shadow. South Florida Smile Spa’s Orthophos S 3D unit is used when the case needs it: planning a dental implant, finding the cause of pain that flat films cannot explain, locating an impacted or extra tooth, checking the jaw joints or the sinuses before surgery, and measuring bone before a graft. It is not a routine X-ray and it is not ordered for every patient; this page explains what it shows, when it is used, how much radiation it involves and what the scan is like.
Quick answer
Cone beam computed tomography, or CBCT, is a dental 3D scan: the machine rotates once around your head and builds a three-dimensional image of the teeth, bone, nerve canals, sinuses and jaw joints that can be sliced and measured on screen. At South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach it is used mainly for implant planning, impacted teeth, root fractures and hidden infections, TMJ and sinus assessment and bone grafting, where a flat X-ray is not enough. The scan takes about ten seconds standing up, involves no contrast or injection, and uses far less radiation than a medical CT, though more than a single digital X-ray, which is why Dr. Berger orders it only when it changes the plan.
What It Shows
Cone beam imaging in Pompano Beach: what a 3D scan reveals
A flat X-ray compresses everything into one plane, so a root can hide behind a root and a nerve can disappear behind bone. A cone-beam scan shows each structure in its real position.
- Bone for implants. Width, height and density of the jawbone at the exact site, and the position of the nerve and sinus, so an implant is placed where it will hold.
- Roots and infections. Root fractures, extra canals and infections at the root tip that flat X-rays miss, which decides between a root canal, a retreatment and an extraction.
- Impacted and extra teeth. The exact position of a wisdom tooth or canine relative to nerves and neighboring roots before it is removed or exposed.
- Jaw joints and sinuses. The bony anatomy of the TMJ and the floor of the sinuses before sleep appliance, TMJ or sinus-lift decisions.
- Airway. The dimensions of the upper airway, which informs the sleep apnea appliance discussion.
The FDA’s page on dental cone-beam CT explains the technology and why it is reserved for cases where a conventional X-ray is insufficient, the same principle followed here.
The Scan
What a cone beam scan at South Florida Smile Spa is like
- Decision. Dr. Berger explains why a 3D scan is needed for your case and what it will answer.
- Preparation. Glasses, earrings and metal are removed; a lead apron is worn; you stand or sit in the unit and bite lightly on a rest.
- Scan. The arm rotates once around your head in about ten seconds. You hold still and breathe normally.
- Review. The scan is reconstructed in a minute or two and reviewed with you on screen, slice by slice.
- Planning. Implants are planned on the 3D model, surgical cases are shared with our periodontist, and the scan is kept on file.
Radiation, in plain numbers
A dental cone-beam scan delivers a small fraction of the dose of a medical CT of the head, and a limited-field scan of one area delivers less still. It is more than a single digital bitewing, which is why it is not routine. Every scan here is taken to answer a specific question that changes treatment, the field of view is kept to the area needed, and a lead apron and thyroid collar are used. Routine checkups use digital X-rays; the 3D unit is the exception, not the rule.
How the scan changes treatment
Implants placed from a 3D plan avoid the nerve and sinus and go into the densest bone, which is why Dr. Berger plans every implant on a cone-beam scan. A tooth that hurts with a normal flat X-ray often shows a hairline root fracture or a missed canal on CBCT, which saves a root canal that would fail. A wisdom tooth wrapped around the nerve is referred to our periodontist with the scan rather than discovered during surgery. Our Orthophos S 3D page describes the unit itself.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa for 3D imaging
- Used when it matters. Ordered for implants, surgery, hidden pain and impacted teeth, not for routine checkups.
- Read by the dentist with you. The scan is reviewed on screen at your visit, not just filed.
- Implants planned in 3D. Every implant case is planned on a cone-beam scan with our periodontist.
- Low dose, limited field. The smallest field of view that answers the question.
- On file for later. Follow-up questions start from the scan already taken.
Patients come to us from Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek for care planned with the imaging and tools described on this page.
Pain that an X-ray has not explained, or an implant to plan
Book a consultation with Dr. Berger. If a 3D scan is needed, it takes ten seconds and is reviewed with you on screen the same visit.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a cone beam scan safe?
Yes. It uses a small fraction of the dose of a medical CT, a lead apron is worn, and the field of view is limited to the area needed. It is taken only when it will change the treatment plan.
How long does the scan take?
About ten seconds of rotation and a few minutes in total including positioning. The images are ready to review a minute or two later.
When do I need a 3D scan instead of a normal X-ray?
For implant planning, impacted or extra teeth, root fractures and hidden infections, TMJ and sinus assessment, bone grafting and airway questions. Routine checkups use digital X-rays.
Does insurance cover cone beam imaging?
Many dental plans cover it when it is needed for implants, surgery or diagnosis; some medical plans cover TMJ or sinus scans. Our team checks before the scan is taken.
Do I need to do anything to prepare?
No. Remove glasses, earrings and metal hair clips; tell us if you are or might be pregnant, in which case the scan is postponed unless urgent.
Do you see patients from outside Pompano Beach?
Yes. Patients come from Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek and across Broward County, and a 3D scan is taken and reviewed in a single short visit. The office is at 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach. Call (954) 785-1100 or request an appointment.