Advantages of CBCT
CT scans provide a much more detailed image of the targeted anatomy than other scans. While a normal X-ray only shows bone, and an MRI only shows blood vessels and soft tissue, a CT shows a clear 3D image of bone, blood and soft tissue. The cone beam CT scan possesses an advantage over a normal CT scan as the cone-shaped X-ray beam ensures that the patient spends less time being exposed to radiation, while the scanner is also smaller. The scanning time typically lasts less than a minute, while the radiation dose is also more than 10 times less than a normal CT scan.
Risk
The equipment emits ionising radiation, presenting some risk. However, as noted above, the risk associated with cone beam technology is significantly less than that of a standard CT scan.