Cavitation screening is a topic many patients have never heard about until they begin exploring biological or holistic dentistry. At the Institute of Systemic Dentistry in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, we believe patients deserve a clear, balanced explanation of what cavitation screening is, why it may be considered, and where current knowledge still has limitations.
In holistic dentistry, the term cavitation is commonly used to describe an area in the jawbone that may not have healed normally after a tooth extraction or surgery. In the scientific literature, related terms include jawbone cavitations, fatty degenerative osteonecrosis of the jaw, and neuralgia-inducing cavitational osteonecrosis, but terminology and diagnostic standards remain inconsistent. Recent reviews emphasize that the topic is clinically important enough to investigate, while also noting that there are still major research gaps around diagnosis, etiology, and broader health implications.
What Cavitation Screening Means
Cavitation screening is the process of evaluating whether an old extraction site or other area of the jawbone may have healed abnormally. Holistic dentists may consider screening in patients who have a history of difficult healing, lingering discomfort in an old surgical area, unexplained jaw symptoms, or a need for detailed evaluation before future restorative work such as implants. The reason screening matters is that healthy bone is the foundation for long-term oral stability. If a site did not heal as expected, that can affect comfort, treatment planning, and in some cases future surgery.
Why Holistic Dentists Pay Attention to Screening
Holistic dentists tend to look beyond the visible tooth and consider the health of the surrounding bone, tissue, and immune response. Screening may be considered because an extraction site that appears fine on the surface may still deserve closer evaluation if the patient reports lingering symptoms or if the area will need to support future treatment. At the same time, it is important not to overstate certainty. The most current review literature makes clear that the field still lacks universally accepted diagnostic criteria, so screening should be approached thoughtfully and case by case rather than as a blanket assumption.
Who Might Be a Candidate for Cavitation Screening
Not every patient needs cavitation screening. It is usually more relevant when there is a specific reason to look more closely. This may include a past extraction site that never felt fully normal, an area of chronic tenderness, concern before implant placement, or a history of complicated dental surgery. In biological dentistry, wisdom tooth extraction sites are often discussed because they are common locations of concern, but a responsible evaluation still has to be individualized.
What Screening Methods May Be Used
Clinical history and examination
The first step is usually not technology but a careful conversation. A dentist should review your extraction history, healing experience, symptoms, and overall health. This context matters because imaging findings mean little without a clear understanding of the clinical picture. This kind of detailed review is especially important in a field where definitions and interpretation are still evolving.
Digital imaging and CBCT
In many holistic offices, screening relies heavily on imaging, especially cone beam computed tomography or CBCT. Standard two-dimensional dental X-rays may miss changes in bone that are easier to appreciate in 3D imaging. Practices focused on biologic dentistry often use CBCT to look for irregularities in extraction sites, and the broader dental literature supports CBCT as a more sensitive tool than traditional radiographs for evaluating many jawbone and periapical conditions. At the same time, imaging should be used judiciously and with attention to radiation exposure, which is why low-dose CBCT protocols matter.
Emerging ultrasound approaches
Ultrasound-based approaches for jawbone assessment are also being explored. A 2025 review on dental ultrasonography describes growing interest in ultrasound devices for evaluating osteoimmune and bone-related conditions in dentistry. This is promising, but it is still an emerging area and not as established in routine practice as CBCT. Patients should understand that newer technologies may be helpful, but they are not yet universally adopted or standardized.
What Screening Can and Cannot Tell You
This is one of the most important points. Cavitation screening can help identify whether an area deserves further attention, but it is not a perfect yes-or-no test. Current reviews of jawbone cavitations repeatedly state that research is still limited and that the biological nature and clinical significance of some findings remain under debate. In other words, screening can be useful, but results should be interpreted carefully and in context.
A responsible holistic dentist should explain:
- what the imaging does show
- what it may suggest
- what remains uncertain
- how those findings relate to your symptoms and treatment goals
That kind of transparency is essential.
Why Imaging Choice Matters
Because many patients considering cavitation screening also care deeply about whole-body health, radiation exposure is an understandable concern. The good news is that a 2024 systematic review found that low-dose CBCT protocols can perform similarly to higher-resolution protocols for many implant-related tasks, which supports more conservative imaging strategies when CBCT is clinically needed. This reinforces the importance of choosing a practice that uses imaging thoughtfully rather than reflexively.
Questions Patients Should Ask
If you are considering cavitation screening, it is reasonable to ask:
- Why do you think this area needs screening
- What symptoms or history make screening appropriate
- What imaging or evaluation methods will you use
- What can this test actually tell us
- How will results affect treatment decisions
- Are there uncertainties I should understand before moving forward
The goal is not just to get a scan. The goal is to understand whether screening is appropriate for your case and how the information will be used.
A Balanced Holistic Perspective
At the Institute of Systemic Dentistry, a holistic perspective means paying attention to the health of the jawbone without overstating what any single finding means. Cavitation screening can be a valuable part of care when there is a clear clinical reason to investigate healing in a past surgical area. But screening should always be tied to thoughtful clinical judgment, appropriate imaging, and honest discussion about the limits of current evidence.
Patients should know that cavitation screening is not a routine test for everyone, nor is it something that should be dismissed out of hand. It is a focused evaluation that may be considered when a patient’s history, symptoms, or treatment planning make jawbone healing an important question.
Current evidence supports taking the topic seriously while also recognizing that the science is still developing. At the Institute of Systemic Dentistry in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, we believe patients deserve both careful evaluation and clear communication. When screening is appropriate, it should be done with sound imaging choices, individualized judgment, and a balanced understanding of what is known and what still remains uncertain.
