A 3D X-ray machine is a significant investment for a dental clinic to make, and in the Marbella region there are only a couple of dental clinics with one. So why did we choose to buy such an advanced machine?
Well, simply put, humans are not 2-Dimensional! For this reason, knowing the 3D relation of important nerves, blood vessels, sinuses, and the vast array of anatomical structures that make up a human face, is crucially important for safety, and precision in surgery, particularly for implants, and wisdom teeth removal.
For example, have a look at the below x-ray of a lower wisdom tooth, and it’s relation with the main lower jaw nerve:
On a 2D view you can see that the nerve runs by the tip of the wisdom tooth, but you can’t tell if it’s in front or behind the roots. If it’s touching the tooth (which you can’t tell on this 2D x-ray), then when you go to surgically removing this tooth, you risk doing temporary or permanent damage to the nerve, causing potential long-term numbness of the lower lip on one side in this region: