Three major dental developments shaped 2026: The ADA released its first updated x-ray guidelines in over a decade emphasizing clinical necessity, dental practices gained new CDT billing codes for in-house 3D scanning and printing to capture lost revenue, and same-day full-arch 3D printing emerged as a transformative clinical solution.
- ADA x-ray guidelines: First update in 10+ years published January 2026, addressing both 2D imaging and cone-beam computed tomography with clear recommendations on patient selection and imaging frequency
- CDT coding gap: New codes are now available for digital workflow phases, including 3D scanning, virtual planning, printed models, and implant indexes to help practices capture revenue previously lost through bundling
- Same-day full-arch 3D printing: Maxillofacial specialists are using shared digital data across specialties to complete full-arch restorations in one hour, scaling efficiently from single crowns to complex reconstructive cases
From the ADA's new x-ray guidance to the billing codes behind in-house printing, these are DrBicuspid.com’s most important dental imaging and CAD/CAM stories of 2026.
ADA releases new x-ray guidelines
The ADA’s first updated x-ray patient selection recommendations in more than a decade arrived in January with a clear message: Take dental x-rays only when clinically necessary. Published in the Journal of the American Dental Association and endorsed by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, the guidance is the ADA’s first to address both 2D imaging and cone-beam computed tomography. It expands the 2012 guidelines with direction on which patients need x-rays, how often, and which imaging type fits specific situations, including cracked teeth, endodontics, implant planning, and temporomandibular disorders. An ADA expert panel developed it.
Coding the digital workflow: CDT codes for 3D printing and scanning
As 3D scanning and printing move into more practices, a coding gap is emerging. The CAD and CAM steps that once happened in a lab, with a separate lab fee, are now done in-house, and many practices bundle them into existing fees and give up revenue. Dental coding expert Estela Vargas, CRDH, walks through the CDT codes for each phase of the digital workflow, from scans and virtual planning to printed models and implant indexes. Vargas reminds clinicians that most dental policies do not cover these services, and she includes a coding guide to documenting each phase of the digital workflow.
Full arch in 1 hour: Dr. Thanos Kristallis on 40 years of dentistry and why 3D printing is the most fun he’s ever had
After 40 years in dentistry, maxillofacial specialist Dr. Thanos Kristallis says same-day, full-arch 3D printing is the most rewarding work he has ever done. In this DrBicuspid.com Podcast episode, he recalls spending one hour prepping a full upper arch procedure the morning before the recording and Kristallis dispels two myths about printing, including that it suits only single restorations. His practice, he says, uses shared digital data across specialties for full-arch and complex reconstructive cases. The data are the same whether it is a single crown or a full-arch reconstruction. It just scales.
DrBicuspid is constantly updating news and information surrounding imaging and CAD/CAM. Check out the imaging & CAD/CAM section.
