Cone-Beam CT Interpretation for Clinicians
Reading a CBCT scan with genuine confidence — not just pointing at landmarks but understanding what you are seeing and what to do about it — is a skill this one-day course is built to give you.
Service description
A focused one-day course that teaches dentists how to read and interpret CBCT scans with confidence — not just for implant planning, but for pathology identification, airway assessment, and referral decisions. No prior CBCT experience is assumed. The morning is didactic; the afternoon is entirely case-based, working through 20 real anonymized scans in small groups.
Who will benefit from this course
This course is for dentists who receive CBCT scans and feel uncertain about what they are looking at beyond the obvious. That includes clinicians who own imaging equipment and those who refer patients to an imaging centre and get the scan back to interpret — both situations are equally well served by what the day covers.
No prior CBCT experience is assumed. The course begins with the physics of image formation and image quality assessment, so even participants who have never opened a DICOM file before will have a solid foundation before the afternoon case work begins.
How the day is organised
The morning session is didactic and covers CBCT physics, image quality assessment, anatomical landmark identification across axial, coronal, and sagittal views, implant site measurement, bone-density grading, and a framework for making referral decisions. The content is practical throughout — every concept is tied directly to a clinical decision you will face.
The afternoon is entirely case-based. Working in small groups, participants move through 20 real anonymized scans, applying the morning's framework to pathology recognition, incidental findings, airway assessment, and implant planning scenarios. The group format means you hear how colleagues approach the same image, which is often as instructive as the instructor's own commentary.
What the case library gives you afterwards
After the course, participants receive six months of access to the anonymized case library used during the afternoon session. This means you can revisit cases at your own pace, use them to practise before a complex scan arrives in your practice, or simply keep your skills sharp between courses.
The library is accessible through a widely available open-source DICOM viewer, so there is no software cost and no compatibility issue. The course also demonstrates how to work with the most common proprietary viewers, so whatever system your imaging centre uses, you will know how to navigate it.
Pathology and referral decisions
Implant planning gets most of the attention in CBCT education, but the scan often reveals findings that have nothing to do with the planned implant site — cysts, lesions, airway concerns, and incidental findings that require a decision. This course treats pathology recognition and referral decision-making as first-class topics, not afterthoughts.
The referral decision framework taught in the morning gives you a clear, repeatable process for deciding when a finding needs specialist review, when it can be monitored, and how to document your reasoning. That kind of systematic thinking protects your patients and gives you confidence when a scan shows something unexpected.
CE credits and recognition
The course provides 8 continuing education credits, recognised by provincial dental associations across Canada. A single day of focused, case-based learning that satisfies a meaningful portion of your annual CE requirement while giving you a skill you will use in practice immediately is a straightforward investment of your time.
Because the group is kept small, the day never feels like a lecture you are sitting through. Instructors pause frequently, questions are welcomed at any point, and the afternoon case work is genuinely collaborative. Participants regularly describe the afternoon session as the most useful few hours of CE they have done in years.
What to bring and how to prepare
Bring a laptop if you have one — working through the case library on your own screen during the afternoon makes the experience more hands-on. If you do not have one, machines are available in the facility. No software needs to be installed in advance; the instructor will walk everyone through setup at the start of the day.
If you have a CBCT scan from your own practice that puzzled you, anonymize it and bring it along. There is usually time at the end of the day to look at participant cases, and working through a scan that genuinely confused you — with an experienced instructor beside you — tends to be the moment the day's learning clicks into place.
What the service includes
- CBCT physics and image quality assessment
- Anatomical landmark identification on axial, coronal, and sagittal views
- Implant site measurement and bone-density grading
- Pathology recognition: cysts, lesions, and incidental findings
- Referral decision framework
- Access to 20 anonymized case library for 6 months post-course
Price
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Early registration | $1,400 |
| Standard registration | $1,600 |
| Group rate (3+ from same practice) | $1,300 |
Gross prices are for guidance only. You will receive an exact quote before work begins.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to own a CBCT machine to benefit from this course?
No. Many participants refer patients for CBCT imaging and then receive the scan back to interpret. This course is equally useful whether you own a machine or work with a referral imaging centre.
Which software is used in the course?
We use a widely available open-source DICOM viewer so that participants can continue practising at home without any software cost. We also demonstrate how to work with the most common proprietary viewers.
How many CE credits does this course provide?
8 CE credits, recognized by provincial dental associations across Canada.
Ready to take the next step in your surgical practice?
Contact us to talk through which course fits your current skill level — we are happy to have an honest conversation before you register.