BACKGROUND: Mouth pain while eating or drinking affects millions of Americans everyday. Sometimes, a simple X-ray or oral examination can uncover the source of that pain. But for others, the pain continues as dentists come up empty on answers. When an X-ray is taken, dentists can see inside the teeth and gums to reveal roots and bones. But those 2-D black and gray slides can have shadows, hiding potential answers to the source of mouth pain.

Traditional X-rays are taken from the front of the face and results are received in five to 15 minutes while the patient is still in the office. Unfortunately, some patients find it difficult to fit the film in their mouths and will gag or have their mouths cut. Some patients are unable to open their mouths sufficiently, so the dentist isn't able to capture all of the information necessary to catch all potential problems.

BEYOND THE X-RAY: Like a CT scan that scans the body for internal complications, the ILUMA is a cone-beam CT scan that takes thousands of slices of data images and puts it together in a 3-D skull format. Capturing images of the head, teeth, bone, gum tissue, arteries, nerves and veins, the ILUMA dental scan gives dentists a far greater picture of underlying issues than traditional X-ray images. Capturing the images takes only 40 seconds while the patient is sitting upright. Results are processed within five minutes, so the patient and dentist can find out what's going on almost immediately. Doctors say it uses 90 percent less radiation than a traditional medical CT scan, making it safer for the patient.

Users of the system claim it has helped them find diseases and conditions well beyond their typical dentist appointment. "We found tumors in patients where they didn't realize they had cancer," Joe Kravitz, DDS, MS, cosmetic dentist at the Center for Dental Health in Washington, D.C., said. "We found infections within the bone where there's massive bone loss around the teeth where you couldn't see and patients were complaining of pain."

Users of the system say it makes interpreting results easier. Dentists can manipulate the images generated by the machine by moving it from side to side, top to bottom, inside and out. Users say it is accurate within a tenth of a millimeter. The scans are more expensive than traditional X-rays: X-rays run $20 to $70 per film whereas the dental scan runs a reported $300 to $1,600, depending on how much information you need, but insurance helps reduce that cost. Dr. Kravitz says he believes the scan is going to become the standard of care in the coming years.

MORE THAN TEETH: This same technology is being used by plastic surgeons to reconstruct parts of the face. Iraqi veterans are finding their old faces again thanks to the 3-D modeling software.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:                  

IMTEC Imaging

http://www.ilumact.com