How to Prepare
Please bring a list of your current medications. This includes prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamin or mineral supplements and herbal remedies. This information will be required when you visit our clinic.
You will not need to remove your clothes for the procedure. Wearing loose, comfortable clothing is best. Avoid wearing clothes with buttons, zippers, or belts made of metal.
Checking In
You should come 15 minutes earlier than your scheduled time. When you arrive at the Bone Density and Body Composition Laboratory, check in at the reception desk and please have the following ready:
- Health card (OHIP card). If you do not have an OHIP card, please bring another form of government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license, passport, or other provincial health card). Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment.
- Your name, address and birth date
You'll be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your medical history, any family history of osteoporosis, any diseases or conditions that you may have and any medications that you are currently on.
Be sure to speak to the receptionist or technologist if there is any chance that you might be pregnant. In order to prevent radiation exposure to the fetus, bone density scans are not performed on pregnant women.
You should also notify the receptionist or technologist if you have had a barium x-ray in the last two weeks or if you had a nuclear medicine scan or injection of an x-ray dye within the last week.
Before the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Scan
Once you have finished filling out the questionnaire, your weight and height will be measured. The technologist will explain the procedure and get you set up for your scan. You will not need to remove your clothes, but all metallic objects should be removed if possible.
During and After the BMD Scan
BMD scans are quick and painless. Your hip and spine are the areas most likely to be scanned. This usually takes about 15 minutes.
The Results of Your BMD Scan
Once your scan is completed, the results will be reviewed and the report will be sent to your referring doctor within two weeks. Your doctor will then decide on the appropriate steps for your treatment plan.
Please be mindful that the technologist can't give you the results during your visit.
How Long Will Your Appointment Be?
A BMD scan usually takes about 15 minutes.
We do everything that we can to stay on time. Unfortunately, your appointment may be delayed by unforeseen circumstances. We recommend that you come prepared for delays.
Follow-Up
After your first scan, your doctor is best able to determine when another bone density scan should be done, and if other BMD scans will give us more information that can be helpful.
Osteoporosis medications can make your bones stronger and greatly reduce the risk of a fracture, even if a follow-up BMD scan shows little change in your bone density. In some cases, you may only need a scan once every few years. The BMD machine will likely not be able to detect any meaningful changes if a second scan is done within a year.
