| Utilization of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) provides precise and interactive images, which facilitate the diagnosis of dental disease and guided therapy. As with any new technology, it is important to define current usage trends in order to define the validity of future adoption. The CBCT patient files from the University of Louisville department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences (n=2,272) were examined to determine the referral and prescription patterns for CBCT scans as well as to identify the type and rate of incidental findings on referred scans. It was hypothesized that patient referral data provided would yield information about current and emerging CBCT usage and assist in the development of guidelines on the appropriate use of this technology. It was expected that rates of incidental findings increased with patient age and the field of view of the scan conducted. This retrospective chart audit revealed that the majority of patients were female (58%), in the 60--69 year age range (24.4%). The greatest source of patients was referral by periodontists unaffiliated with the University (39.96%) the most common reason for referral was for implant planning purposes (72.8%). Rates of incidental findings, specifically those of carotid artery calcifications, were directly correlated to the field of view of the scan. |
