You might not think about how the cone beam technology used at your orthodontist’s office could help establish a proper diagnosis, but if you’re our patient, you should.
In the 16 months that we’ve used the iCAT FLX 3D cone beam technology in our practice, the useful information we’ve been able to pass along to you, your family dentist, and your physician has been eye-opening for everyone involved.
The iCAT system helps us evaluate our patients for malocclusions such as crossbite, overbite and underbite. But the information revealed in the images it gathers goes well beyond your orthodontic treatment.
We recently evaluated a 10-year-old patient after her family dentist referred her to us because her adult teeth weren’t erupting.
Dr. Yan Razdolsky gathered the information via the iCAT system. He found that instead of teeth in three areas, the patient had what are known as compound odontomas. A large compound odontoma was identified in the area of one upper canine tooth. Two other compound odontomas were found in her lower jaw. Inside these compound odontomas, she had between four and 10 miniature teeth. Multiple compound odontomas and osteomas have been linked to Gardner’s syndrome. This is an autosomal dominant syndrome, so it is possible that one of the patient’s parents has this. Testing to rule out this syndrome was recommended, because it is associated with high incidence of colorectal cancer.
“The iCAT enabled us to identify what the patient’s general dentist was unable to see in traditional X-ray images,” says Dr. Razdolsky, the only Buffalo Grove orthodontist with an iCAT FLX. “Once we have a diagnosis, we know what we’re dealing with. Now her general dentist, an oral surgeon, and I can work together to devise a treatment plan.”
This latest discovery is added to a growing list of Dr. Razdolsky’s findings, thanks to iCAT. He once found a stent in someone’s brain that had been placed there to treat seizures, but the patient failed to report it in a medical history. He also has identified degenerative joint disease, bone cysts, and undiagnosed damage caused by periodontal disease.
Each new finding thanks to the iCAT FLX further proves this technology is a powerful tool capable of so much more than identifying orthodontic issues and helping Dr. Razdolsky develop orthodontic treatment plans for patients. The iCAT is identifying other health issues, too. It goes to show how everything is interconnected in our bodies!
Currently iCAT FLX Cone Beam Technology is ‘State of the Art’ but eventually it will become the standard of care, Dr. Razdolsky says. “The better we are at identifying potential issues early, the more successfully we can plan treatment.”
