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ConebeamInfo.com Wm. Randol Womack, DDS, Board Certified Orthodontist, Editorial Director, Orthotown Magazine

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Dr. Lawrence Chan and Mr. Brendon Bengtson are the two men behind ConebeamInfo.com, a site created to raise awareness about the benefits and risks of CBCT use. Herein, Dr. Randol Womack asks about the business and the idea behind creating the forum for discussion.

ConebeamInfo.com is a social discussion entity dedicated to CBCT. It's a place where those involved or interested in the paradigm shift can gather thoughts, ideas, intentions, treatments, processes, etc. and decide on how to implement these into everyday practice and diagnoses. The CBCT machines are reaching into an abundance of different fields including anywhere from orthodontics to paleontology.

Tell us about ConebeamInfo.com.
Bengtson: As this specialty evolves, we are incredibly excited to help develop the communities along the way. Our mission statement at ConebeamInfo.com is to provide a non-partisan arena for dentists, industry professionals, staff and patients to discuss CBCT technology, applications, cases and standard of care all for the greater good of patients and doctors.

What was the drive behind starting a Web site like this?
Bengtson: There has been a lack of universal information in this incredibly vibrant and expanding field of cone beam. There needs to be a location like Orthotown.com where people can go to ask questions and discuss topics that are vital to the health of this industry.

Chan: When I bought my first CBCT three years ago, there was very little information about it. We had to develop our own protocols, obtain information by talking with people and sometimes invent on the fly. I love that we can gather new and presently established opinions about cone beam in one place and discuss how to apply them to everyday practices. With Conebeaminfo.com, we have the insight of current industry leaders and interesting and thought provoking questions of upcoming doctors, in a central location. I wish I had this resource when I first started.

Can you please explain some of the topics that are included for discussion?
Chan: We cover a gamut of different categories and topics. This site is for everybody – dentists, industry professionals and even patients. Currently we have a handful of industry-leading orthodontists available to ask questions and spur new topics. We are also discussing oral surgery, implants and pathology. At this point, there isn't much we are not open to discussing. We have great topics on things like cephalometrics, gear and equipment, scan settings, radiation/ exposure and risk factors, just to name a few. I am especially proud of our Interesting Case section. This is a great place to share successes and disasters with complete anonymity, so that we can expand our knowledge base.

Bengtson: Not only are we discussing hot topics for the dentist and specialists but we also address issues staff and patients might have too. There are plenty of questions even for staff, like: what is DICOM? How do I find it? What is a DICOM header? What are some of the things that I should be aware of for myself? For patients there are countless questions as well: My orthodontist has a 3D machine called a cone beam scanner. What kind of questions should I be asking? Is it worth an extra fee (if any)? What are the benefits?

Brendon, what separates you from other similar resources?
Bengtson: One of the main things that puts us aside from similar entities is we are not affiliated with any cone beam companies. However, a highlight of ConebeamInfo.com is that we have industry professionals from CBCT machine companies and even software companies available to answer your questions directly. This is a valuable tool for anyone interested in more information from a direct source.

It's our mission to provide real information with as little bias as possible. When I worked for Anatomage I was asked numerous times about what machine to buy, or what software to use for treatment planning, etc. It quickly became apparent that the cone beam industry needed this hub. It is our core interest to offer a central location for doctors, staff and patients to ask questions, discuss hot topics and gather true and unfiltered information.

What are some of the milestones you have fulfilled so far?
Chan: For the launch of ConebeamInfo.com, we have recruited some of the industry's top innovative and influential doctors like Dr. Sean Carlson of Mill Valley, California, Dr. Juan-Carlos Quintero of Miami, Florida, Dr. Andrew Trosien of Tracey, California and many others, to be a part of our core crew. They are on board to answer important questions in hot topics and provide guidance via their own experiences in the cone beam field. We have a proactive approach to technology and its current or predicted benefits or even shortcomings. We welcome all opinions on these topics. This site is about the community and helping it move forward through open and fair communication.

Can you tell me about some of the highlights of ConebeamInfo.com?
Bengtson: We have many features to share with the community: track events on the calendar, reply and follow ongoing conversations, create new topics for discussion, review cases, take and review polls, read blogs (staff and/or doctors and companies), access cone beam CT machine and software reps directly, see featured "Cone Beam User of the Month," view member maps, personal message between members and use social media features like status updates, friends, etc. With such a wide range of users, we have a lot for everyone.

Is there anything else you would like to add about ConebeamInfo.com?
Bengtson: 3D has become such an important part of orthodontics, and all shades of the dental field, for treatment and diagnoses. Questions and misconceptions need to be addressed as soon as possible. We need to hear all the success stories and even disastrous stories around CBCT to further overall awareness and appreciation for what this tool can provide, not only to doctors but patients too.

Chan: CBCT is an ongoing hot topic right now. It has so much to offer dental practices and patients alike. I believe the time has come to discuss this as a large community. Please enjoy. We are bringing the CBCT world to your finger tips.
Interviewee Bios
Dr. Lawrence Chan is a board certified medical radiologist, who specializes in head and neck imaging. Dr. Chan is the founder and CEO of Bay Area Advanced Imaging. Soon after starting the company three years ago, he realized that the information about cone beam CT was not being communicated easily between dentists, industry professionals and patients. Dr. Chan brings more than 16 years of expertise in the medical field to an emerging technology.

After medical school, Dr. Chan was a general surgery resident at the University of California at San Francisco for two years before completing a diagnostic radiology residency in Southern California. Dr. Chan also completed a musculoskeletal radiology fellowship from UCSF. Dr. Chan holds a MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a BA in biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley.

Mr. Brendon Bengtson was lead modeling technician, production manager for AnatoModels and head software trainer for Anatomage, a leader in 3D treatment planning software for cone beam CT. At Anatomage, he developed production pipelines, and created the training and support department responsible for client integration, business development and company collaborations. He also specialized in 3D treatment planning, training, imaging and 3D cephalometrics.

Mr. Bengtson holds a bachelor's degree in computer and video imaging from Cogswell Polytechnical College in Sunnyvale, California.
Orthotown Magazine
September 2025
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