Three-dimensional imaging has become an important tool in modern dentistry, but not every practice owns the equipment. Dentists who need a cone beam CT scan for a patient often have to send that patient elsewhere. Riverfront Dental in Cambridge has a scanner on site, confirmed by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario register, and its site says it accepts scan referrals from dentists outside the practice.
Riverfront Dental is located at 725 Coronation Boulevard, Suite B1 and B2, and the register lists a CT Scanner Facility Permit at that address.
Key Takeaways
- The RCDSO register lists a CT Scanner Facility Permit at Riverfront Dental’s address, and Dr. Kim Beaucage’s record carries a Dental CT Scanner Authorization.
- According to the practice’s site, it accepts cone beam CT scan referrals from outside dentists through a referral form.
- CBCT produces three-dimensional images of the teeth, jaws and surrounding structures, which can help dentists plan certain treatments.
- The practical next step: dentists who would like to refer a patient can use the practice’s referral form, and patients can ask their own dentist whether a scan is appropriate.
What CBCT Is
Cone beam computed tomography, usually shortened to CBCT, is an imaging method that captures a three-dimensional view of the teeth, jawbones and nearby structures in a single rotation. A conventional dental X-ray shows a flat picture. A CBCT scan lets a dentist look at the same area from many angles and measure distances that a two-dimensional image cannot show.
Dentists commonly use these scans when planning procedures such as dental implants, assessing wisdom teeth and evaluating complex root canal cases. Whether a scan is appropriate for a given patient is a clinical decision, since imaging involves radiation and should be used only when it is likely to help.
What the Register Confirms
Unlike many claims about equipment, this one can be checked outside the practice’s own site. The RCDSO register shows a CT Scanner Facility Permit at 725 Coronation Boulevard, and Dr. Beaucage’s record includes a Dental CT Scanner Authorization. Those entries confirm that the scanner is on site and that the practice has the regulatory permissions that come with operating it.
For a referring dentist, that kind of confirmation matters. It is a more reliable indication than a website statement alone that the facility is set up to perform scans.
Accepting Referrals From Outside Dentists
The practice’s site includes a CBCT referral form and a service description that invite scan referrals from dentists outside the practice. That detail comes from the practice’s own site, so referring dentists should confirm current procedures, turnaround and what information the practice needs.
A referral arrangement of this kind lets a dentist whose practice does not have a scanner arrange a scan for a patient locally. The referring dentist generally continues to manage the patient’s overall care, and the scan supports that dentist’s own treatment planning.
What Patients Should Know
Patients usually do not refer themselves for a CBCT scan. A dentist recommends one when it is relevant to a planned treatment. Patients who are told they need a scan can ask why it is needed, what the dentist hopes to learn from it, whether there are alternatives and how the results will be used. Those are reasonable questions at any practice.
A General Dentistry Practice
Riverfront Dental describes its dentists as general practitioners, and the RCDSO register lists all three, Dr. Kim Beaucage, Dr. Rifaan Lalji and Dr. Sandra Gerlich, as holding general certificates. The scanner is a piece of diagnostic equipment and does not change that status. Patients who need specialty care can ask about referral options.
Location and Access
The practice is at 725 Coronation Boulevard, Suite B1 and B2, in Cambridge, across from Cambridge Memorial Hospital, according to its site. The site also states that free on-site parking is available and that Highway 401 is easily accessible. The practice’s weekday hours begin at 9:00 AM Monday to Wednesday, with a later Thursday schedule, and patients should confirm them directly.
Why Local Imaging Can Help
Having imaging available in the same community can reduce the need to travel for a scan, which may be useful for patients who would otherwise have to travel to another city. Local availability may also make coordination between dentists simpler. Those are practical considerations rather than clinical advantages, and the decision about where to have a scan rests with the patient and their dentist.
Information for Referring Dentists
Dentists in Cambridge and the surrounding area who want to arrange a scan can submit a scan referral through Riverfront Dental’s referral form, and patients with questions about imaging can contact the practice directly.
