Advanced Smile Dentistry Explains Digital Imaging in Implant Planning

Before an implant is placed, a 3D CBCT scan shows bone width, density, and nerve position. New guidance explains how digital planning uses that information.

TOMS RIVER, NJ, UNITED STATES, October 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Advanced Smile Dentistry today released patient guidance explaining how cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and digital implant planning are used before dental implant surgery, what the 3D scan shows, and how that information shapes the treatment plan.

A cone beam CT scan is a three-dimensional imaging method that lets dentists evaluate bone, teeth, nerves, and sinuses before implant treatment. A standard dental X-ray produces a flat image, while this scan produces cross-sectional views of the jaw that can be measured from any angle.

The guidance responds to questions patients raise at their first visit, often after years of routine dental X-rays. The practice developed it for patients in Toms River and surrounding Ocean County communities who are researching implant treatment.

“A regular X-ray is a flat picture that shows height and length and not much else,” said Dr. David Basar, DDS, lead dentist at Advanced Smile Dentistry. “With a 3D scan, I can see how wide the bone is, how dense it is, and exactly where the nerve and sinus sit. I want to know all of that before an implant goes in, and so do my patients.”

Precise measurement is the main reason the scan is used before implant surgery. Placing an implant depends on knowing the width, height, and density of the available bone, as well as the location of nearby structures, and 3D imaging provides that information before the treatment plan is set. In 2012, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology recommended cross-sectional imaging, with CBCT as the preferred method, for assessing sites where implants are planned.

The scan shows the width, height, and density of the jawbone, the position of existing tooth roots, the inferior alveolar nerve that runs through the lower jaw, and the floor of the sinus above the upper back teeth. Those details help determine whether an implant can be placed right away or whether bone grafting is needed first.

During the scan, the machine rotates around the patient’s head once while the patient sits or stands. According to Dr. Basar, image acquisition typically takes less than a minute, though timing varies by imaging system.

Digital implant planning follows. The 3D images are loaded into planning software, where the dentist places virtual implants and adjusts their length, angle, and depth against the bone and nearby structures. Full-arch cases are often planned in reverse, starting from where the final teeth need to sit, an approach known as prosthetic-driven planning, so the implant angles support the bridge attached later. In some cases, the plan is also used to produce a surgical guide that directs placement during the procedure.

Dr. Basar said radiation is the safety question patients raise most often. “The scan uses a lower dose than a conventional medical CT, and we only take one when the information will change the plan,” he said. “For implant treatment it almost always does.”

Whether implants can be planned without this kind of scan depends on each patient’s clinical situation. The 2012 radiology recommendation supports this type of imaging for implant site assessment because it provides anatomical information that two-dimensional X-rays cannot.

The practice recommends that patients ask during a consultation whether this imaging will be part of their evaluation, what the images show about their bone, and how the results affect the timing and type of their implant treatment. [Learn more]

About Advanced Smile Dentistry
Advanced Smile Dentistry is a dental implant practice based in Toms River, New Jersey, led by Dr. David Basar. The practice focuses on full-mouth dental implants, full-arch dental implants, implant-supported dentures, dental implant surgery, and advanced restorative dentistry. Advanced Smile Dentistry utilizes digital diagnostics, 3D imaging, and personalized treatment planning to support predictable treatment outcomes and long-term oral function. The practice helps patients with extensive tooth loss, failing teeth, and complex restorative needs through comprehensive implant-based solutions and patient-centered care. For more information, visit www.advancedsmile.dental.

Dr. David Basar
Advanced Smile Dentistry
+1 732-561-1770
office@advanceddentalsmile.com
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