Abstract: A procedure for obtaining patient image data for planning and/or placing dental implants in a patient. The patient is scanned at a radiology facility and corresponding image data is obtained, for example, in a DICOM format. The image data is forwarded to a processing center, preferably over a secure data link. At the processing center, the image data is converted to a form that is usable on a PC to be operated by a treating implant doctor, and the converted data is stored on a server at the center. The server can then be accessed by the doctor using his/her PC and a network connection (e.g., the Internet) between the PC and the processing center. The converted image data is downloaded and saved in the doctor's PC, so that the doctor can run a dental implant planning program based on the downloaded image data for a given patient.