Acquiring 3D volumes

You can acquire 3D volumes with third-party programs.

Note: For the complete list of acquisition devices that are supported by Dentrix Ascend Imaging, see "Supported Acquisition Devices."

To acquire a 3D volume

  1. If the correct patient is not already selected in Dentrix Ascend, use the Patient Search box to access the patient's record.

    Note: You can include inactive patients in the search results by setting the Include inactive patients switch to On.

  2. On the Patient menu, under Clinical, click (or tap) Chart, Progress Notes, Quick Exam, Perio, Tx Planner, or Imaging.

  3. On the Chart, Progress Notes, Perio, Tx Planner, or Imaging tab of a patient's clinical record, on the Imaging tab's menu, click (or tap) Acquire images.

    Notes:

    • If the acquisition agent is not installed, the Acquisition Activation dialog box appears. Click (or tap) the Click here link to download the acquisition agent installer. Then, click (or tap) Done. After you install the acquisition agent and the drivers for your acquisition devices, you can begin acquiring images.

    • If you have not already accepted the diagnostic use policy, the Diagnostic Use Warning dialog box appears. To begin using the imaging features of Dentrix Ascend, you must select the I accept the above-mentioned policy checkbox, and then click (or tap) Accept & Go to Imaging.

    The options for acquiring images become available.

  4. Under Imaging Procedures, select one of the following tabs:

    • Favorites - This tab contains the imaging procedures for the current location that have been marked as favorites. This tab is available only if there are favorite imaging procedures for the current location. If there are favorite imaging procedures for the current location, this tab is selected by default.

    • Standard - This tab contains the standard imaging procedures that come with Dentrix Ascend Imaging. This tab is available for all locations. If there are not any favorite imaging procedures for the current location, this tab is selected by default.

    Note: The Custom tab, even if it is available, does not contain imaging procedures for 3D volumes.

  5. Below the list of imaging procedures, select the Auto-proceed with Acquisition checkbox if you want to allow an acquisition to begin automatically after you select a procedure, teeth for a selected procedure (a procedure may require a minimum number of teeth to be selected), or a sequence variant (for 2BW or 3PA procedures, the most recently selected variant is not remembered, so one must be selected to auto-proceed; however, for FMX, the last selected variant--FMX18 or FMX21--is remembered and used to auto-proceed).

    Notes:

    • A bitewing requires at least one tooth from the upper arch and one from the lower arch. If you want to select two from each arch, for example, do not use the Auto-proceed with Acquisition checkbox because the acquisition will start after you select the third tooth without allowing you to select the fourth tooth (for example, if you select two from the upper arch, and then select a tooth on the lower arch, the acquisition starts before you can select the other tooth on the lower arch.

    • Use the Auto-proceed with Acquisition checkbox only if the correct acquisition device is selected for a given procedure and if that is the device you always use for acquiring those types of images; otherwise, you must pause the acquisition to select the correct device.

    • If you cancel an acquisition that started with the Auto-proceed with Acquisition checkbox selected, after you cancel the acquisition, the Auto-proceed with Acquisition checkbox is cleared automatically.

    • The state of the Auto-proceed with Acquisition checkbox is saved for the next time you acquire images on this computer.

  6. Select the imaging procedure CBCT Volume, which corresponds to the only acquisition type for a 3D volume.

    The options for the selected procedure become available.

  7. Under Billing Options, set up the following options:

    • Apply charges - To post the fee for the selected procedure, select the checkbox. To post a zero amount for the procedure, clear the checkbox.

    • Bill to insurance - To bill the patient's insurance carrier for the procedure, select the checkbox. To not bill the patient's insurance carrier for the procedure, clear the checkbox.

    • Select provider - From the list, select the provider who you want to associate with the procedure.

      Note: Only providers who have access to the current location and who are flagged as charting providers are available for selection. Also, the provider who is selected by default is determined by the current location's Default procedure provider setting.

  8. Set up the Acquisition Options for 3D volumes.

    Do the following:

    1. In the Acquisition type list, select the procedure that will be posted.

    2. With Mandible, Maxilla, Both Jaws, or TMJ selected in the Acquisition type list, the applicable teeth are selected on the Tooth chart automatically for your reference. However, if Limited Field of View is selected, select the correct teeth on the Tooth chart by clicking (or tapping) one of the teeth in each applicable sextant or by clicking (or tapping) somewhere within the square bracket of each applicable sextant.

      Note: To deselect all selected teeth, click (or tap) the Clear selected link. The link is available only if you have selected teeth manually.

    3. If no interpretation or analysis of the acquired 3D volume will be done in your office, to use the alternative procedure code for the selected procedure in the Acquisition type list, clear the With interpretation/analysis checkbox.

      Note: The codes for the procedures in the Acquisition type list change as you select or clear the With interpretation/analysis checkbox.

    4. Under Task to Perform, on the Acquire Images tab, select the correct device on the Available Devices menu if it is not already selected.

      Note: For the complete list of acquisition devices that are supported by Dentrix Ascend Imaging, see "Supported Acquisition Devices."

    5. If the selected device supports 3D volume processing within Dentrix Ascend Imaging, the Acquire a 2D image link only checkbox is available. Select or clear this checkbox:

      • With this checkbox selected, Dentrix Ascend Imaging displays and saves only a 2D snapshot of the 3D volume.

      • With this checkbox clear, Dentrix Ascend Imaging displays and saves the full 3D volume (you can save a 2D snapshot of that volume later).

      Note: The state of this checkbox is saved for the next time you acquire a 3D volume.

      Note: If the selected device does not support 3D volume processing within Dentrix Ascend Imaging, the Acquire a 2D image link only checkbox is not available. When you acquire a 3D volume using the selected device, Dentrix Ascend Imaging displays and saves only a 2D snapshot of that 3D volume.

  9. Click (or tap) Proceed with Acquisition.

  10. Acquire the 3D volume.

    Do the following:

    1. Use the options in the third-party imaging program that opens to get ready to acquire a 3D volume.

    2. Acquire the 3D volume in the third-party imaging program.

    3. Close the third-party imaging program.

      The resulting 3D volume or a 2D snapshot of the resulting 3D volume is saved to the patient's record.

  11. If a full 3D volume is being displayed, to save a 2D snapshot of the 3D volume, change the Coronal, Axial, and Sagittal views as needed (for example, by rotating anatomy and navigating slices), and then click Snapshot. The snapshot is saved to the patient's record as "CBCT 2D Snapshot." Repeat this process as needed to save other snapshots.

    Note: Slice plane indicators (cross hairs) do not appear on a snapshot.