GALILEOS® Provides Clinical Workflow and Integration Advantages

Before purchasing a CBCT system, clinicians have a lot of questions, says Don Tyndall, DDS, PhD, Director of Radiology at the UNC School of Dentistry. Tyndall, who teaches radiology, often discusses how these systems fit in a dental practice.

When asked about which is the best system to buy, he explains, "I'm quick to say that all the cone beammachines on the market are equally accurate and will provide useful diagnostic information. Therefore, the more important consideration is the kind of support the company offers, because if you buy an expensive system, you are getting married to that company. CBCT can be complex, especially in the software area, and you really need support. When something goes wrong, which happens from time to time with any system, you want to pick up the phone and talk to someone who can help you fairly quickly."

While clinicians often ask about image quality, Tyndall believes that that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people prefer a certain type of image over others. The best thing to do is to go to a meeting and look at what you see on the screen. Also, ask people who actually own the system what their experience has been with the company."

Another important consideration for prospective owners is the field of view that they need for their practice. "For example, GALILEOS^® is in the medium field of view, which is a good level for most dental professionals," Tyndall says. Some units offer all three views (small, medium, and large), while others provide various combinations. "It's important to ask yourself, what do you need? How are you going to be using it?"

According to Tyndall, one of the factors driving the acquisition of CBCT systems is surgical procedures, especially dental implants. Another fast-growing CBCT use is among endodontists for root canals because "being able to evaluate the complex structure of complicated canals such as in molar teeth is a profound benefit," Tyndall explains. "I think the increasing interest in CBCT is based on a combination of factors right now. Implants are still the driving force, with surgical guides a major influence, and the endodontic area is growing fast. Also, the general dentist who wants to place implants and also have a system that reduces the number of intraoral radiographs is looking closely at these systems.

"We're going to see more merging of digital dentistry, combining CBCT with other types of information such as 3-D photographs and CAD/CAM," Tyndall says. "For practitioners who already own a CEREC^® system, the ability to merge the CEREC data with the cone beam data from GALILEOS is a very attractive option."

Tyndall, who provides radiology training for Sirona, is familiar with the company's approach to education. "If you buy a cone beam system, they offer a free 2-day course with continuing education credit, which is important for dentists to maintain their license. This training gives them a lot of confidence on how to use the system effectively. My job is to teach them how to review their patients' scans: I offer a shortened version of the course we teach at dental school. We offer hands-on experience, and this training is held in three areas of the country."

John Smithson, Director of Marketing, adds, "As far as long-term customer support, we have dedicated 3-D x-ray, surgical guide, and implant-planning software support groups. In addition, we offer remote access, so we are very actively involved with the clinicians, helping them to get the most out of their system in their office from a practical clinical perspective."

According to Smithson, Sirona's GALILEOS system offers some unique advantages in terms of clinical workflow. "We've incorporated all the diagnostic capabilities and the ability to do reports and map findings exactly the way the clinician sees them within the software. It's more easily used than just about any program out there. The clinical workflow is incorporated into the implant planning along with the capability of ordering surgical guides directly from the software. And of course, we try to provide the highest-quality images with one of the lowest doses on the market.

"As we go forward, there are going to be new modules that are added in the 3-D combination realm that will have application in other areas," Smithson says. "From that perspective, clinicians can expect further development of the CEREC integration. We are the only company that's doing the CEREC integration, with the CAD/CAM and cone beam images fully integrated in the software. We have quite a few users who are using that functionality, and we expect to see continued growth in that area. It brings two things together: the accuracy of an intraoral scan and the x-ray data that shows the anatomic structures underneath the surface and the surgical area.

"As one of the largest companies in the dental field, we are conducting major research on new technologies, so we expect to develop more applications for orthodontics, orthognathic simulations, and potentially the use of additional new technologies that continue the principle of very low radiation," Smithson says. "From that perspective, we are really keeping the clinician in mind when we are designing our products-by working toward a truly comprehensive solution. It all works together powerfully-hardware and software."

Sirona Dental Systems LLC
4835 Sirona Drive, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28273
(800) 659-5977
https://www.sirona3d.com