Frequently Asked Questions - Dental CT Scanners

The College’s Standard of Practice sets out two types of dental CT scanners, based on the size of theimage or field of view generated

DA-SCANNER – Dentoalveolar CT scanner with a field of view of 8 centimetres or less.A small field of view is useful for imaging the teeth, their supporting structures, the mandible andthe maxilla up to the floor of the nose.

CF-SCANNER – Craniofacial CT scanner with a field of view of over 8 centimetres. In addition to dentoalveolar structures, a large field of view may include intracranial structures, thebase of the skull, the temporomandibular joint, the paranasal sinuses, the cervical spine, the neckand the airway spaces.

The short answer is no. Dentoalveolar CT scanners may be used by any dentist who meets the educational requirements set out in the Standard of Practice and registers with the College. Craniofacial CT scanners may only be used by oral and maxillofacial radiologists and those oral and maxillofacial surgeons who have completed a mentoring program with an oral and maxillofacial radiologist or qualified medical radiologist.

All dentists who wish to prescribe, order and take dental CT scans must register with the College as a prescribing dentist and have successfully completed a theoretical and practical training program designed to produce competency in the ordering, taking, interpreting and reporting of dental CT scans with respect to the field of view generated.

For dentoalveolar scans, this means successful completion of a course of instruction of at least two days duration that is affiliated with an accredited university, organized and taught by dentists certified in oral and maxillofacial radiology, and has a post-course examination.

The curriculum for this course must include theoretical and practical components,
addressing radiation physics and protection, indications and contraindications for dental CT scans, patient positioning, selection of parameters, development and implementation of protocols, and processing, interpreting and reporting of images.

A certificate or other evidence of satisfactory completion of the course, as well as a written
description of the program signed by the course director, must be submitted to the College for consideration.

Dentists who have successfully completed a formal postgraduate program in oral and maxillofacial radiology, suitable for certification in the province of Ontario, are able to register with the College as a prescribing dentist to use a craniofacial CT scanner.

Dentists who have successful completed a formal postgraduate program in oral and maxillofacial surgery, suitable for certification in the province of Ontario, AND who have successfully completed a mentoring program with an oral and maxillofacial radiologist or qualified medical radiologist are also able to register with the College as a prescribing dentist to use a craniofacial CT scanner.

The mentoring program must involve the interpreting and reporting of at least 50 craniofacial CT scans. A letter or other evidence of satisfactory completion of the mentoring program and attesting to the competence of the candidate, signed by the mentor, as well as a written description of the program, must be submitted to the College for consideration.

Yes there are. In addition to the above specified training, all prescribing dentists ordering and taking dental CT scans must receive on-site training in the safe operation of the equipment at the time of installation.

As well, prescribing dentists are expected to include courses and/or other educational programs related to the ordering, taking, interpreting and reporting of dental CT scans in their personal continuing dental education planning.

In accordance with the College’s Standard and the regulatory amendments to the HARP Act, other than a qualified prescribing dentist, the only staff persons who may expose patients to dental CT scans are qualified medical radiation technologists who are registered with the College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario and acting under the on-site supervision of a qualified prescribing dentist.

All dentists who wish to prescribe, order and take dental CT scans must register with the College as a prescribing dentist. This includes all dentists who are specialists in oral and maxillofacial radiology and all dentists who practise in hospital dental departments. The registration form for prescribing dentists can be downloaded here. 

In addition, every dental facility where a dental CT scanner is installed and operated must have a facility permit issued by the College. The facility permit application form can also be downloaded here. Be advised that the process for approving a facility permit application takes about 6-8 weeks.

Yes. The College’s by-laws set out two different fees associated with the facility permit process. There is an application fee of $850 which must be submitted with the facility permit application form. This fee covers the cost of the provisional facility permit, the inspection and the annual facility permit.

There is also an annual facility permit renewal fee of $400, due October 31 each year. This fee covers the cost of re-inspections conducted on a three-year staggered cycle.

There is no separate fee for registering multiple prescribing dentists at the same facility.

It is the responsibility of each dentist to use their professional judgement to assess:

1. Whether the course they are selecting meets the education and training criteria outlined in the Standard of Practice for the field of view (dentolalveolar or craniofacial) corresponding to the authorization they are requesting, supplemented by, where required, completion of a mentoring program; and
2. Whether the course they select incorporates the key elements of the Standard of Practice and addresses their individual learning needs.

There may be differences in the expectations from other jurisdictions, and we urge dentists to review content carefully from that perspective.

When you apply for authorization to prescribe, order, take, interpret and report dental CT scans you will have to complete an attestation confirming you have completed the requisite education and training.

In support of your signed attestation, you must submit a certificate of completion and course syllabus or letter from the program director/course provider outlining the clinical and didactic elements of the educational program or CE course.

If the course was the basis for your initial education and training to obtain sedation authorization then it is recommended you retain these documents at a minimum for the duration that you maintain your sedation authorization. You may wish to retain the documents indefinitely in case you decide to reapply for authorization after a gap in that area of practice.

Documentation related to on-going CE requirements under the Standard of Practice or as otherwise required by the College must be retained for a minimum five years from the end of each three-year CE cycle and submitted to the College on request.