Dental CT of the maxillofacial area

A dental CT is a 3D scan of your teeth and the bones of the upper and lower jaw. On a regular X-ray, everything overlaps. A 3D scan lets the doctor look at each tooth, root, canal and patch of bone from any side, and measure bone height and width to the millimeter. That is why dentists and maxillofacial surgeons ask for CT before implants, prosthetics and complex treatment. At Oberig Clinic we scan on modern CT units in the Diagnostic Department, and radiologists read the images.

Why you need a dental CT

The most common reason is implant planning. The doctor needs to know how much bone there is where the implant will go, where the lower jaw nerve runs and how close the floor of the maxillary sinus is. Without this, an implant can end up too deep or at the wrong angle. CT is also needed before a sinus lift or bone grafting, to see if you need more bone. After such surgery, a repeat CT shows how much bone has grown and whether implants can go in.

Other reasons: canal treatment when a regular X-ray misses some roots or extra canals, a suspected cyst or granuloma at the tip of a tooth, impacted wisdom teeth before removal, orthodontic planning, jaw injuries, sinus inflammation caused by a tooth. CT of the mouth can also show soft tissue problems in the floor of the mouth or the salivary glands if the doctor extends the protocol.

Implants: what the doctor measures

A few numbers matter for an implant. Bone height is the distance from the ridge to the nerve canal below or the sinus floor above. Bone width tells if an implant of the right size fits with a wall of bone left on both sides. A thin ridge may need grafting first, and it is better to know that before surgery day. Bone density affects how fast the implant heals in and how much force it takes to place. The surgeon also checks the slope of the ridge and the thickness of the outer wall, so the implant sits at the right angle and stays inside the bone.

The implant must stay a safe distance from the lower jaw nerve. Otherwise you could be left with numbness of the lip and chin. So the doctor measures the canal on several slices. If your dentist made a radiopaque guide with marks for future implants, bring it and mention it before the scan. You will be scanned wearing it, which makes planning even more precise.

Wisdom teeth, cysts and root canals

An impacted lower wisdom tooth often lies right next to the nerve. A regular X-ray cannot tell if the roots touch the canal. CT shows it clearly. The surgeon sees how the tooth sits, how many roots it has and how best to remove it without harming the nerve. The same goes for cysts. CT shows their size, borders and contact with nearby teeth, the sinus or the canal, and that shapes the surgery plan. Sometimes a cyst turns out larger than it looked on X-ray, and the surgeon can plan bone grafting in advance.

In root canal work, CT helps when a tooth hurts after treatment but the X-ray looks clean. The slices show a missed canal, a vertical root crack, a perforation, or inflammation that has not yet shown up on a flat image. This tells your dentist if the tooth can be retreated or an implant is the better plan. That answer often saves months of treatment that would not work.

What a 3D jaw scan shows

It shows the shape, height and density of bone and the position of teeth and roots. It also shows canals, a widened ligament space, inflammation around tooth tips, cysts, cracks and foreign bodies, such as filling material pushed past the tip. The doctor also checks the maxillary sinuses, the lower jaw nerve canal and the jaw joints if they fall into the scan area.

CT often finds things that caused no trouble: a thickened sinus lining, a small sinus cyst, inflammation at the root of an old filled tooth. The radiologist describes it all. Your dentist decides what to treat before the implant and what to simply note. This helps avoid problems after surgery.

For prosthetics, both jaws are usually scanned together. The prosthodontist sees how the upper and lower jaws relate, plans the load on future supports and picks the right type of restoration. If treatment involves one area, such as a single implant, one jaw is enough. Your referral states the scan range. If it does not, the radiologist will ask your goal and choose the right area.

For dentures and bridges on implants, CT shows where there is enough bone for supports and where grafting is needed. For crowns and bridges on your own teeth, it shows the roots and bone around the support teeth and whether they can take the new load. Your dentist sees a real plan before work starts and can be honest about time and cost. Fewer surprises mid-treatment means fewer extra visits and redos, which saves you both time and money.

How a dental CT is done

No special prep. You can eat as usual. Before the scan, take off earrings, piercings, glasses, removable dentures and retainers, and hairpins. You lie on the CT table or take the position the doctor shows you, and your head is held still. Do not swallow or move your tongue during the scan, because even small movements blur the fine structures near the roots. The scan takes a few seconds. The whole visit, including positioning, takes up to 10 minutes. Done.

People often worry about lying in a scanner, but a dental CT is nothing like a long MRI session. The ring of the scanner is open, your face stays outside a closed tunnel, and the whole thing is over before most people have time to feel uneasy. If you get anxious in medical settings, tell the staff when you arrive, and they will walk you through each step at your pace.

Next, software builds the slices and a 3D model, and the radiologist reviews them and writes a report. You get the images as files that open in the software dentists use for implant planning. Results are ready within 24 hours, except weekends and holidays. Keep the files. They are useful for years of follow-up.

Is a dental CT harmful?

Yes, it uses X-rays. But the dose for the jaw area is small, comparable to a few months of natural background radiation. The benefit of precise planning far outweighs the risk. A mistake during implant surgery or wisdom tooth removal near the nerve costs far more than one scan. Only the face area is exposed, and modern protocols keep the dose low. The scan itself lasts seconds, which also limits exposure. CT is not done in pregnancy unless truly needed, so tell the doctor if you are or might be pregnant.

How often can you have a dental CT?

As often as medically needed. Usually CT is done before implants, sometimes again a few months after bone grafting to check that the bone has taken, and after implant placement if something bothers you. Nobody repeats it as a routine check without a question from the doctor. For children and teens, the reasons must be especially clear, and the protocol uses the lowest dose. If you already have a CT less than a year old and nothing has changed, bring it. Your doctor may decide a new scan is not needed.

CT or panoramic X-ray

A panoramic X-ray (OPG) is a flat image of all your teeth. It works for a general check and yearly follow-up. But it does not show bone width or the exact nerve position, and parts of the image are distorted. So for implants, complex root canal work and removing wisdom teeth near the nerve, you need CT. If your doctor also wants to look at the sinuses, see the sinus CT page.

Common questions

Do I need a referral from my dentist?

It helps, because it states the area and the goal: implants, extraction, root canal. Without one, the radiologist can help set the scan range on site, but it is better to ask your dentist in advance what they need.

Can I have CT with braces or crowns?

Yes. Metal can cause artifacts, but the scan stays useful, and artifact reduction software helps. Remove anything removable before the scan. Fixed crowns, bridges and implants stay in place.

Do children have jaw CT?

Yes, when needed: injuries, impacted teeth, orthodontic planning. Your child just needs to lie still for a few seconds, and a parent can stay close.

Can I eat before the scan?

Yes, no limits. Brush your teeth and remove all metal from your face and neck, including earrings, chains and hair clips.

Does it hurt?

No. It is a regular scan with no needles. Contrast is almost never needed for teeth. You lie still for a few seconds, and you can go straight to your dentist afterward.

What should I bring?

Your referral, earlier X-rays, a panoramic image and, if you have them, your dentist's treatment plan and a radiopaque guide. Older CT scans are useful too, for comparison.

How do I send the images to my dentist?

You get the scan files and the report. You can pass them to your doctor on a drive or electronically. The format is standard and opens in most implant planning software.

Dental CT price

The price list has a separate line for jaw CT for prosthetics. The price covers the scan, 3D reconstruction, the radiologist's report and files for your dentist. It is the same for implants and for prosthetics, and both jaws fit into one scan. Contrast is rarely needed, only if a growth is suspected, and then it is charged separately. Book at 3 Zoolohichna St, Kyiv, Diagnostic Department, by phone or online.

Prices are from the clinic price list as of 26.10.2026. They may change. Please check the current price with the contact center.

Why choose Oberig Clinic

• 3 CT scanners, modern Siemens software and low-dose protocols.
• A radiologist writes the report, not just software: the sinuses, joints and incidental findings are described.
• The Diagnostic Department is a Siemens reference center, follows American College of Radiology protocols and gives results within 24 hours.
• Maxillofacial surgeons, ENT doctors and computed tomography of other areas in one clinic.

Address: 3 Zoolohichna St, buildings G and V, Kyiv. Book online at https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03.