Reflections on AAO, CBCT
by Wm. Randol Womack, DDS, Board Certified Orthodontist
Editorial Director, Orthotown Magazine
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And a big thank you to all who stopped by for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at
our VIP Townie Happy Hour at Bin 36 on Sunday, May 15. Every year during
the AAO Annual Session, I look forward to reconnecting with our Orthotown
members in person and continue our online discussions face to face. This party
was just a little token of appreciation to all who have supported the largest online
orthodontic community in the world!
Everywhere I look in our sacred profession, it is more and more evident that
mini-screws and CBCT are becoming more "routine" for many orthodontic
treatment procedures. In Chicago, the exhibits
offered the latest in CBCT machines with all kinds
of enhancements in field of view and exposure
times. On my flight back home, I had a chance to
reflect on the issues surrounding CBCT use – positive
and negative. There is so much more that can
be seen with CBCT including better evaluation of
TMD and airway concerns, hidden supernumerary
teeth, TAD and implant placement, etc. This technology
also helps give our patients and their parents
a clearer vision of treatment plans. On the other side of the CBCT argument,
cost and radiation concerns remain front of mind for every practitioner considering
this amazing technology (the latter bolstered most assuredly due to the
recent press in national newspapers). Some practitioners who I have spoken with
have used it and find it helpful in specific cases or when they're using SureSmile,
while others are fearful of potential liability of "missing something" after reading
a scan (all discussions we've presented within the pages of Orthotown Magazine and will continue to do so as the technology advances).
No matter what side of the CBCT fence each of us is on, because of the
impact this technology will continue to have on our profession, we are all highly
interested in the advantages and the disadvantages of CBCT scans. As a reference,
I would suggest searching for and reading articles published by Dr. John B.
Ludlow from the University of North Carolina. I foresee the objections – radiation
and cost – decreasing and the positive aspects of CBCT becoming more
apparent. Orthotown Magazine has always kept a strong focus on CBCT and we
will continue our efforts to provide the latest and the most factual information
about all aspects of orthodontics to our readers. Thank you, again, for reading
Orthotown Magazine, posting on Orthotown.com and for your generous support. |