January 10, 2008
Ken Ma
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5354 Office
954-830-4177 Cell
kennma@nova.edu
Nova Southeastern University uses High-Tech Dental Imaging Machine
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. - Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine (NSU-CDM) announced Thursday it’s using a three dimensional imaging machine to perform cutting-edge dental surgeries that will reduce patients’ exposure to radiation, while saving them time and money.
CDM is using an i-CAT cone beam scanner, a state-of-the-art 3-D imaging machine that allows dentists to scan patients who are seeking dental implants (replacement teeth), and those needing treatments for head or neck lesions. The machine gives restorative dentists and specialists the most complete information on the anatomy of a patient’s mouth, face and jaw areas.
“It gives us an outrageously accurate view,” said Clark Galin, D.D.S., an NSU associate professor at the College of Dental Medicine.
i-CAT performs similar functions as the traditional CT (CAT) Scan used by most health care facilities. But unlike CAT scans, i-CAT is much safer for patients because it emits 75 percent less radiation. And it’ll cost less to use i-CAT at NSU’s Dental Clinic compared to sending patients to medical imaging facilities for CAT scans.
During Martin Luther King Day weekend, NSU’s dental college will host Tom Balshi, D.D.S., of the Institute for Facial Esthetics in Pennsylvania. He will be presenting a two-day course called Computer Guided Implant Surgery with his colleagues, Glen Wolfinger, D.M.D. and Steven Balshi, M.B.E. The virtual dentistry course on Jan. 19 and 20 will teach dentists throughout Florida and the country on how to use the i-CAT to perform replacement teeth application in less than an hour. The program and patient’s treatment is being supported by a grant from Nobel Biocare and the Pi Foundation.
Prior to the course, NSU dental faculty will use the i-CAT to help NSU employee James Scorey receive a full set of replacement teeth in an hour. Scorey, who has no teeth, wears dentures. The demonstration surgery will take place on Friday, Jan. 18, at 4 p.m., at the NSU Dental Clinic.
“He is going to have permanent teeth in an hour,” Galin said. “I don’t mean one or two teeth; he’s going to have a full arch.”
About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 26,000 students and is the sixth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences. For more information visit www.nova.edu.
