Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest and busiest children’s hospitals in Europe, has installed the ProMax 3D CBVT dental system from Planmeca. The ProMax 3D, will carry out OPG, Cephalometry as well 3D Cone Beam Volumetric Tomography (CBVT) examinations.
Alder Hey is the first hospital in the UK and first major paediatric centre in Europe to install the Planmeca ProMax 3D dental system, which was supplied by Xograph Healthcare an independent supplier of medical equipment to the UK and Republic of Ireland.
The multipurpose digital dental system offers proven panoramic imaging capabilities, cephalometric and 3D imaging as well as advanced imaging software tools all in one compact, free standing system, providing ease of use for any radiographer or dental practitioner. The system offers side entry for practical and precise patient positioning, either within the standing or seated position. This is especially important for children who can remain close and in eye contact to an accompanying adult.
The Planmeca ProMax 3D uses the latest technology in dental imaging, to provide distortion free images for 3D reconstruction with no loss of sensitivity and without the need for frequent calibration. The new Cone Beam Volumetric Tomography technology allows the practitioner to take a single semicircle scan, using a short X-ray pulse rather than continuous radiation, resulting in a reduction in radiation dose to the patient, without compromising on superb image quality.
The ability to collimate the x-ray beam vertically and horizontally to reduce the patient dose overall and to avoid irradiating the eyes unnecessarily, is especially important when working with children. Dr Susana Dominguez-Gonzalez, Consultant Orthodontist at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust said, “The Promax 3D allows dental and maxillo-facial clinicians to visualise a high quality three dimensional image of the maxilla and mandible. This enables us to assess fractures and impacted teeth but also proving to be especially useful for evaluating the alveolar bone in cleft lip and palate patients. On this group of patients, it is becoming very beneficial for an accurate assessment on the amount of alveolar bone density. This is advantageous to plan surgical and orthodontic treatment.”