According to “Dr. Wo” Wm. Randol Womack, DDS, Board Certified Orthodontist, Editorial Director, Orthotown Magazine

 
Reflections on AAO, CBCT
by Wm. Randol Womack, DDS, Board Certified Orthodontist
Editorial Director, Orthotown Magazine

The 2011 AAO Annual Session was by all measurements a great success. The "toddling town" provided a great venue for national and international attendees. I was impressed with the number of international speakers on the program. It really speaks to the fact that we live and practice in the "global village." Thanks to all who stopped by the Orthotown booth; your discussions with us helped reinforce our mission to serve our readers and online members with the most up-to-date information about orthodontics.

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.
Sponsors
Townie® Poll
Do you have a dedicated insurance coordinator in your office?
  
Sally Gross, Member Services Specialist
Phone: +1-480-445-9710
Email: sally@farranmedia.com
©2025 Orthotown, a division of Farran Media • All Rights Reserved
9633 S. 48th Street Suite 200 • Phoenix, AZ 85044 • Phone:+1-480-598-0001 • Fax:+1-480-598-3450