Chilean radiologist bridges continental divide with Finnish dental technology

Dr Arturo Besa is specialist in maxillofacial radiology from Chile. He initially got into the field of dentistry for a clear reason: to improve dental health.

With his radiology centre 3D Imagen, Dr Besa has done just that. The centre he founded in 2009 has established a strong position in Chile’s capital city Santiago. 3D Imagen provides high-quality imaging services to dentists in the area.

The centre is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024. Over the years, it has grown into two branches and a comprehensive team of five radiologists, five imaging technicians, and two office workers. Dr Besa acts as 3D Imagen’s Director.

One of the first Planmeca users in Chile

Dr Besa was among the very first radiologists using Planmeca in Chile. Today, 3D Imagen boasts a nice variety of Planmeca equipment, ranging from CBCT imaging to intraoral X-ray units.

The main reason for choosing Planmeca was quality – the quality of the image and of the unit itself. Planmeca’s CBCT units are known to be long-lasting and to offer a combination of high image quality and low doses.

“Another important reason was the proximity with the company. Despite the geographical distance, we have always felt close to it,” Dr Besa illuminates.

Recently, he had the opportunity to travel to Planmeca’s global headquarters all the way in Helsinki, Finland. The visit was an insightful one, as much had changed since the last time he was there over 10 years ago.

“I previously visited the Planmeca headquarters in 2012. That was a long time ago, so I have seen the company grow since then. Different equipment has been developed, and more digital options introduced. I feel that this is a good path for me, to walk hand-in-hand with a company that has really shown it is ascending,” Dr Besa explains.

Several key strengths

In his work, Dr Besa has identified certain aspects of Planmeca’s CBCT units that are particularly useful. The first one is the usability of the units. He has appreciated how effortless it is to position patients and initiate image capture.

“I have found the positioning to be super simple. It is easy to select the right volume from the screen, and to capture the image.”

Another key strength has been Planmeca Ultra Low Dose™ – the proprietary CBCT imaging protocol for lowering effective patient doses.

“Many children come to our radiology centre, as orthodontists often refer them to us. Taking images with [the protocol] is fast, the quality is good, and the dose is low. This is something all imaging units cannot offer,” Dr Besa states.

“We use Planmeca Ultra Low Dose a lot, it is an important tool for us. Parents ask about it, so it is good to always have it available. They can trust that we take good quality images of their children at low doses.”

Romexis® is truly the best

The third advantage Planmeca has had to offer Dr Besa has perhaps been the most important of them all. The Romexis® software has proven to be in a league of its own.

“Romexis has a real benefit that other brands do not offer: It is all-in-one. For me, that is fundamental. I have been able to integrate all the different imaging technologies within Romexis. CBCT images, STL files, the intraoral photos, cephalometric images – they are all together in the same environment.”

These comprehensive functionalities have not been included at the expense of usability. The software has been designed in a user-friendly way, which makes utilising all the different possibilities straightforward and efficient.

“Romexis is very intuitive. It allows me to do things in simple ways. It is easy to have everything in one place and to not have to download separate files for other software,” Dr Besa tells.

“The templates Romexis offers are also very simple to use. When I need to prepare a template for a dentist, it is fast and easy, and helps me present the information to the dentist in a way that they understand well.”

During his lengthy specialist career, Dr Besa has had the opportunity to use and compare a wide variety of different dental products. This gives him a broad perspective and a clear understanding of what works best for him and his imaging centre.

“I have used dental software for many devices and from many brands. For me, Romexis is truly the best,” Dr Besa concludes.

Copy: Daniel Purssila
Images: Dino Azinur & 3D Imagen