Equipment lists: which ones matter for you
Clinic entries and websites list machines. For most patients, two or three of them matter. Here is which, and why.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026For implants, the most important device is a cone-beam CT (CBCT) scanner, which shows bone in three dimensions for planning. A panoramic X-ray is the basic overview for any treatment. Intraoral scanners and CAD/CAM milling speed up crowns and bridges. Lasers, microscopes and photogrammetry systems help in specific cases. Ask how each will be used in your treatment, not just whether the clinic has it.
A clinic’s HealthTürkiye entry includes a list of declared devices. Our own lists a panoramic dental X-ray and periapical radiography; larger clinics list many more, from CBCT scanners to lasers. Clinic websites add more again. A long list looks impressive. What matters is whether the right machine is used for your case.
The ones that matter most
Cone-beam CT (CBCT)
A 3D X-ray of the jaw. For implants it is the key planning tool: it shows how wide and deep the bone is, where the nerve runs in the lower jaw and where the sinus sits above the upper back teeth. Without it, a dentist is estimating. Ask: will you take a CBCT before placing my implants, and will you show me the plan?
Panoramic X-ray (OPG)
A flat overview of all teeth and both jaws. The starting point for almost any plan. You can get one in the UK and send it ahead.
Intraoral scanner
A wand that takes a digital impression instead of putty. More comfortable, and the file can go straight to the laboratory.
Useful in some cases
- CAD/CAM milling: designs and mills crowns and bridges, speeding up a short trip. See in-house lab or outside lab.
- Surgical guides: 3D-printed templates that guide implant drilling to the planned position.
- Photogrammetry: records implant positions for full-arch bridges.
- Operating microscope: helps with root canal treatment.
- Dental lasers: used for some gum treatments.
What equipment does not tell you
A device on a list is a declaration, not a guarantee of use. A clinic may own a CBCT scanner and still place a simple implant from a panoramic X-ray. Equipment also says nothing about the experience of the person using it. That is why equipment is not one of our scored checks.
Questions to ask
- Which scans will you take before my treatment, and why?
- Will you plan implants on the CBCT, and use a surgical guide?
- Can I have copies of my scans to take home?
Common questions
Do I need a CBCT scan for implants?
It is standard for planning implants because it shows the width and depth of bone and nearby nerves and sinuses. Ask whether the clinic takes one before placing implants.
Is a CBCT scan safe?
It uses X-rays, at a higher dose than a single dental X-ray but usually far lower than a medical CT scan. A dentist should take one only when needed.
What is photogrammetry?
A way of recording implant positions precisely with cameras, used by some clinics when making full-arch bridges.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
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