Though her consultation with the doctor revealed that the work she needed would likely take more than a year to complete, Judy says she was willing to give the process a try, until life circumstances forced her to put off the procedure once again.

“All of a sudden,” she recalls, “The doctor called and said they had some new equipment, a CT scanner, that would allow them to take a picture and find where the right placement that would allow me to immediately walk out of the office with a full set of teeth.”

“I thought, I guess I’ll try it.”

Invaluable Accuracy ​ Dr. Stuart Beauchamp, is a board-certified dentist with advanced training and periodontics. In practice since 1975, Ormond Beach Periodontics and Implant Dentistry has seen an amazing evolution of knowledge, technique, and technology, but one of the most revolutionary developments, in our opinion, has been the cone beam CT scanner.

“Prior to the development and subsequent perfection of the CT scanner, we were limited to two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional problems,” the doctor explains. “In the mouth, teeth have not only a length and width, but they also have depth, and there was no way to calculate that depth from a two-dimensional x-ray.”

Now that Ormond Beach Periodontics and Implant Dentistry has a cone beam CT scanner right in their office, the treatment has become much more accurate and efficient. “Now, with the three dimensional view, we can see where the roots are in the bony housing. We can see inside a crown, or see a fracture line or a crack alongside a root in the tooth itself. Perhaps most helpful, we can see how much damage was done to the tooth or bone by decay or infection and how much bone loss exists between the roots of a multi-rooted tooth. These areas were always in the dark before.”

As a result, procedures have become much more predictable, and the overall costs have come down. “Using the CT scanner has greatly improved our accuracy and reliability, so we know ahead of time if a tooth has a chance for survival, whether a bone is wide enough for an implant, or if we need a shorter or narrower implant because the nerve or sinus is in the way.”

With a machine like the Gendex CB-500HD”, the doctor adds, the entire treatment process is streamlined even even further. “In just about nine seconds, we get so much more information then with a simple two dimensional x-ray. The scan is reconstructed in less than a minute and appears on the computer screen, where I start putting the points together, picking out the areas we are focusing on and developing a background image.”

“Once we get that image, I’m able to sit down with the patient and go over the results of the scan and their treatment plan.”

And because the CT scanner is available on-site, patients no longer have to be referred to the hospital, an imaging center, or another specialist’s office. “Previously we had to stop our treatment, make an appointment for a patient somewhere else, and then go wait to get everything sent back to us,” the doctor explains. “That process delayed the outcome of the treatment considerably, and a lot of our patients didn’t follow through.”

An efficient case like Judy’s, the doctor notes, is a perfect example of the benefits of the CT scanner. “She went through a complicated process years ago with her lower arch, but here we are, providing treatment in just one day. The machine allows us to minimize the amount of additional bone graft surgery, and her results were very, very good.”

Such a blessing

After a lifetime of difficulties with her oral health, Judy is thrilled with the way dentistry has evolved. “Twenty or thirty years ago, as I started to lose teeth, I was told that nothing could ever be done. And then, after the way things proceeded with the bottom set, I was pretty nervous to have the procedure done again,” she confesses.

Fortunately, Judy’s willingness to try again paid off. “It was fantastic. It was as easy as they said, with very little discomfort, and I was able to eat just about anything right from the beginning.”

The CT scan itself, she adds, was extremely simple. “You stand in one position in the machine moves around your head. It takes a full picture of your gums and bones and everything, which allows the doctor to be able to see what’s really going on.”

“I was amazed at how easy it all was,” Judy continues. “I thank Ormond Beach Periodontics and Implant Dentistry for making this procedure available to me. It’s just such a blessing to be able to go to them and be treated in such a caring manner, as well as having them fix what was wrong with me and make me feel so comfortable about it.”

Since the procedure, Judy’s satisfaction has only increased. “I healed very quickly and there was no pain. It was just excellent,” she marvels. “Without this procedure I might have had to have a removable denture, which I was really frightened of. I would never want something like that.”

Thanks to the right combination of expertise and technology, Judy now has a smile she’s proud of.

​“Everyone says my teeth look really good, and I just feel wonderful. Ormond Beach Periodontics and Implant Dentistry’s professionalism and knowledge are terrific, and their ability to assess the situation was very, very good. I absolutely recommend them.”