When it comes to dental care, the more doctors can see their patients’ anatomy, the more efficient they can be in their diagnosis and treatment planning. In the quest for expanded visibility into patients’ conditions, many practices are embracing cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) which captures high-resolution 3D images that reveal exceptional detail.
The advantages of CBCT are multifold and accessible to practices seeking to enhance diagnostic confidence, predictable treatment planning, and workflow efficiencies. CBCT images capture a wealth of information about the patient’s anatomy and conditions, including the location and relationship of anatomical structures. This allows them to detect issues such as bone loss and diagnose otherwise hard-to-see problems. With CBCT units, practitioners also have the flexibility to adjust image resolution and field of view (FOV) to capture images at low-dose settings — a benefit for patients.
“Dentists who don’t have CBCT may be missing information that might impede their diagnostic tasks,” says Dr. Katya Archambault, owner of the San Diego Dental Health Center and a specialist in implant surgery, oral and maxillofacial radiology, and dental oncology. An enthusiastic proponent of cone beam technology, Dr. Archambault chooses ORTHOPANTOMOGRAPHTM OP 3DTM digital X-ray systems for her practice and patient care.
DEXIS OP 3D LX: The Next Generation in CBCT
Doctors who are familiar with DEXIS OP 3D, or who are considering adding CBCT capabilities to their practice, have a new option from DEXIS – the OP 3D LX. Built on OP 3D technology, the OP 3D LX provides practices with consistent image quality, versatile configurations, and intuitive digital workflow efficiencies they’ve come to expect with DEXIS solutions.
The OP 3D LX represents the next generation in cone beam technology, with several key innovations including versatile FOV options that expand diagnostic capabilities.
Flexible FOVs for Every Practice
This multimodal imaging platform provides both 2D and 3D options to cover a comprehensive range of dental extraoral needs — from endodontics to complex surgical cases. Along with standard panoramic and extraoral bitewing, the OP 3D LX includes up to six FOVs ranging from 5×5 to up to 15×20 maxillofacial complex, the largest view option available on a DEXIS OP 3D platform to date and the option to upgrade to a cephalometric modality.
This FOV flexibility makes the OP 3D LX an optimal solution for a wide range of dental professionals, especially for total service provider practices which enable practices to offer an array of diagnosis and treatment options to their patients, including general dentistry, implant dentistry, oral surgery, endodontics, orthodontics, TMJ and airway analysis, periodontics, prosthodontics, and more.
The OP 3D LX offers up to 96 additional customizable FOV options and four resolutions including endo and low-dose modes. Versatility comes with simplicity; all the practitioner needs to do is select which areas they want to see on the screen and the machine performs all the calculations.
With the OP 3D LX, practices can treat patients in-house without having to refer them to outside specialists for further diagnosis and treatment. Featuring upgradable FOVs and options, the OP 3D LX can also scale with practices as they grow and expand to meet evolving patient needs.
From Specialized to General Practice
After acquiring an OP 3D LX for her practice, Dr. Archambault also saw significant value in the larger fields of view. “I see details on large FOVs that I would never have expected to see,” she says of her new unit. “DEXIS really hit a home run with this machine.”
Dr. Archambault uses her OP 3D LX for multiple treatment applications, including implant surgery, oral and maxillofacial radiology, and dental oncology. However, she emphasizes that this technology makes sense for general practices looking to expand their services as well.
“3D scans can benefit the outcome of endodontic therapy,” she points out. “When you take a CBCT for every endodontically treated tooth, you know exactly how many canals there are before opening the access cavity. It opens the door for confident extractions because you can visualize the relevant anatomical structure. The same goes for prosthodontics, as you know exactly what’s happening at the root.”
Fast Scans, Low Dose, and High Quality
Even with the larger FOVs, the OP 3D LX captures maxillofacial complex and large diagnostic areas in a single, quick, non-stitched scan. Dr. Archambault finds these short scan times particularly beneficial for her patients.
“The advantage of this is that you reduce the dose to the patient,” she explains. “With some older units, a larger field of view required you to take two scans, which was disruptive. With OP 3D LX, if you want to see more anatomy or make changes to your scout image, the patient doesn’t even have to move. The machine will automatically update to the field of view required.”
Dr. Archambault has been equally impressed with the quality of the images captured by the OP 3D LX. Featuring innovative new implant planning tools and noise reduction filters embedded into the DTX StudioTM Clinic software, the OP 3D LX minimizes artifacts and noise for crisp, clear images that further support diagnostic confidence.
“I knew the OP 3D LX was going to be a great machine, but I am truly mesmerized by the image quality,” says Dr. Archambault. “I posted an image online and right away a few of my colleagues in radiology said, ‘What did you use to make that?’”
For practices that are currently using CBCT machines or looking into cone beam technology, both doctors agree that the DEXIS OP 3D LX digital X-ray machine is worth the investment. Beyond image quality, the OP 3D LX supports practice growth and patient outcomes with expanded fields of view that open the door to more clinical applications, which can empower doctors to see more, diagnose more, and transform more patient smiles.
Reach out to your Patterson representative to learn more about how you can elevate your practice with the new DEXIS OP 3D LX!
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