New cone beam CT scanner installed at The Royal Oldham Hospital

Mr Jawad Husain, medical director for Oldham Care Organisation and Paul Barker, senior directorate manager, radiology and neurophysiology at The Royal Oldham Hospital

Patients requiring complex dental imaging as part of their hospital treatment are set to benefit from a new cone beam CT scanner, which has been installed at The Royal Oldham Hospital.

The specialist radiology equipment will see patients from across Greater Manchester requiring complex dental imaging as part of their hospital treatment benefit from use of the equipment.

A dental cone beam CT scanner uses x-rays and a computer to produce 3D cross sectional images of the jaws and teeth. It is a compact, faster and safer version of a regular CT scanner.

Through the use of a cone shaped x-ray beam, the size of the scanner, radiation dosage and time needed for scanning are all much reduced.

The machine moves around the patient’s head in a circular motion in a similar way to panoramic dental radiography units which are commonly used in dental surgeries and hospitals, and gives radiographers detailed information which cannot be obtained from more conventional x-ray equipment.

Patients who need dental implants and complex wisdom extractions will be able to have scans and it is expected that referrals into the service will rise to around 600 patients per year.

The cone beam scanner can also be used for complex dental imaging including 3D reconstructions, and linked to a new 3D printer in the oral and maxillofacial laboratory at North Manchester General Hospital, to allow models of patient’s jaws to be rendered.

Paul Barker, senior directorate manager, radiology and neurophysiology at The Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “The new equipment will bring huge benefits to patients and staff. Previously patients were either not imaged or underwent full CT scans at an increased radiation dose. The scanner will allow staff to work on state-of-the-art equipment which does not routinely exist outside of specialist facilities to fully assess the exact shape of the patient’s bony anatomy. This will have a huge positive impact on the care we provide to our patients.”

Mr Jawad Husain, medical director for Oldham Care Organisation which runs The Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “The installation of the cone beam scanner at The Royal Oldham Hospital is wonderful news for the patients who use our oral surgery service. It puts us at the forefront of dental technology and will mean that our patients will benefit from increased accuracy when placing their dental implants.”

The cone beam CT scanner is an Acteon XMIND Trium, purchased from GE.