3D Mammography (Digital Breast Tomosynthesis)

Mammograms are the most widely used imaging test for detecting abnormal changes in the breast. 

A 3D mammogram, also called digital breast tomosynthesis (pronounced toh-moh-SIN-thah-sis), DBT, or just tomosynthesis, combines multiple 2D images into an approximation of a 3D picture of the breast tissue. It’s more effective for finding breast cancers than the other commonly available type of mammogram: a 2D digital mammogram.  

Your mammogram facility may give you a choice about whether to get a 3D mammogram or a 2D one. If you’re given this choice, doctors and other experts recommend having a 3D mammogram, if possible. 

That’s because a 3D mammogram provides much more detail than a 2D mammogram.

Both 3D and 2D mammograms are done in the same way. The breasts are positioned and flattened the same way, and the tests take about the same amount of time. The main difference between a 3D and 2D mammogram is the number of images taken of the breast and how these images come together to produce an approximation of a three-dimensional image.  

During a 2D digital mammogram, usually two X-ray images are taken of each breast: one from the side and one from above. 

During a 3D mammogram, an X-ray tube moves in an arc around the breast, taking multiple images from different angles. Those images are combined in a computer to produce clear, detailed images of the breast tissue. Radiologists can more easily see through the overlying normal breast tissue to spot small abnormalities on a 3D mammogram. 

Studies have found that compared with 2D mammograms, 3D mammograms:

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  find more cancers 

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  find more cancers at an earlier stage

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  find more cancers in people with dense breast tissue 

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  reduce the number of false positives — when a mammogram shows a potentially abnormal area that initially looks like cancer but turns out to be normal

According to statistics from the FDA from March 2025, about 92% of U.S. mammogram facilities now have at least one mammogram machine that does 3D mammograms. However, fewer than half of all the mammogram machines at these facilities can do 3D mammograms.     

Not all health insurance plans cover the full cost of 3D mammograms. Some will only cover a 2D mammogram, and if you opt for a 3D mammogram, you may have to pay the difference in cost out-of-pocket.

Some states now have laws either requiring health insurers to fully cover 3D mammograms or requiring imaging facilities to not charge more for them than they do for 2D mammograms. Also, Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare fully cover 3D mammograms in all states.  

If you’re unsure about how much, if anything, you might have to pay for a 3D mammogram, call the imaging facility where you’ll be getting your mammogram and ask.

Although there are advantages to getting a 3D mammogram instead of a 2D mammogram, experts agree that what’s most important is that you have regular breast cancer screenings. 

And if you’re having trouble affording a mammogram, there may be a program in your area that can help you access free or low-cost breast screenings. 

Regardless of the type of mammogram you receive, the mammogram results will be sent to the doctor who ordered the test. Your doctor or their staff may review the mammogram results with you by phone, email, or patient portal, or at an in-person or virtual appointment.