When shopping for a dental cone beam system, you must first determine the maximum field of view (FOV) size that you need for your practice and patients. Regardless of manufacturer, dental cone beam systems are typically categorized by three FOV groups: small, medium, and large. The FOV size is largely determined by the applications or procedures for which it will be used. Most medium and large FOV cone beam dental systems can often collimate down to achieve smaller FOV sizes, if needed. Each manufacturer sets their own field of view sizes, so they can differ greatly by model. FOV sizes are typically measured in centimeters (cm).
Small FOV
Small FOV dental cone beam systems typically capture a 5 x 5 cm field of view or similar. Often, these smaller scans are equipped with a high-definition mode to capture fine details, as needed for endodontics and some implant procedures. A small FOV dental cone beam system is the right choice for you if you only need to view one or two teeth at a time and is best suited for endodontics and single implant treatments.
Medium FOV
A medium FOV dental cone beam system typically captures an 8 x 8 cm scan or similar. Medium FOV cone beam dental machines are ideal for single or dual arch applications, as well as guided implant surgery. Medium field of view CBCT systems, often the best choice for most general dentists, are ideal for surgical guides, viewing impacted teeth, and other applications requiring one or more full dental arches. Most medium FOV systems will allow you to also capture small FOV scans to minimize patient dose.
Large FOV
The largest FOVs start around 13-15 cm and can go as large as 17-23 cm. Large FOV cone beam systems are necessary for evaluating trauma cases, TMJ disorders, airway and sleep apnea studies, ectopic and impacted teeth and third molars, orthognathic surgery, and assessing skeletal symmetry. Most large FOV systems also collimate down to capture smaller FOVs to help you adhere to the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle when prescribing CBCT radiographs. Doctors in oral surgery, orthodontics, and sleep medicine will find this size to be the most helpful.
General Purchasing Tips
When deciding which dental cone beam system to purchase, you’ll want to consider your overall treatment objectives, both now and in the future.
If you currently refer out for CBCT imaging more than four times per month, you may want to consider adding a dental cone beam system to your practice to capture these images in-house. This can increase ROI from receiving referrals from other doctors, performing more complex cases in-house, and increased treatment acceptance and continuation rates.
If you are not yet ready for cone beam, but have considered expanding your practice in the future, whether through offering additional services or bringing in a doctor with other areas of expertise, you might want to look at digital panoramic dental X-ray machines that are easily upgradeable to cone beam dental functionality in the future.
Shop All FOV Sizes with Renew Digital
Renew Digital offers small, medium, and large FOV cone beam from a variety of respected brands. The best part is that you get this top-notch quality imaging at 30-50% off the cost of buying new, and every purchase includes installation, training, and a warranty featuring our 5-star customer service and tech support. Shop online today or contact a Sales Representative to help find the right unit for your practice.
