Buy a CBCT with too small a field of view and you miss anatomy. Buy one too big and you expose patients to unnecessary radiation and pay for capacity you don't need. Here's what each FOV range is actually for.
FOV 101
Field of view is the cylindrical volume of tissue a CBCT captures in a single scan. It's specified as diameter × height in centimeters. Bigger FOV means more anatomy captured per scan, but also: larger voxel sizes (less detail), higher radiation dose, longer reconstruction time, and more data to store.
The four usable FOV ranges
5×5 cm Focused / single-tooth
Best for: endodontics, single-tooth implant planning, periapical pathology, fractured root detection.
Typical voxel: 0.10–0.12 mm — sharpest detail at this small FOV. Dose: lowest.
8×5 / 8×8 cm Single-arch
Best for: quadrant implant planning, mandibular canal visualization, single-arch anatomy, bilateral TMJ.
Typical voxel: 0.15–0.20 mm. Dose: moderate.
12×9 cm Full dentition
Best for: full upper + lower arch, implant cases spanning arches, orthodontic planning, airway screening.
Typical voxel: 0.20–0.30 mm. Dose: higher.
16×17 cm+ Full craniofacial
Best for: complete orthodontic workup, surgical planning, sleep apnea / airway 3D, full sinus visualization.
Typical voxel: 0.30–0.40 mm. Dose: highest — use selectively.
The ALARA principle in practice
ALARA — "As Low As Reasonably Achievable" — is the guiding principle for radiation dose. In CBCT terms: use the smallest FOV that captures the anatomy you clinically need. A general dentist doing mostly implants and endo does not need 16×17 cm capability — 5×5 to 8×8 cm covers 90% of cases and exposes patients to much less radiation.
The multi-FOV option
Many modern CBCT units offer variable FOV — Vatech PaX-i3D (5×5 / 8×5 / 8×8 / 12×9), Carestream CS 9300 (5×5 to 17×13.5 in multiple steps), Planmeca ProMax 3D (up to 14×8.5). These are ideal: you pick the smallest FOV per case.
Decision framework
Match your practice to an FOV range:
- • General practice, occasional implants: 5×5 focused CBCT (e.g., Carestream CS 9000 3D)
- • Implant-focused practice: Multi-FOV 5×5 to 8×8 (e.g., Vatech PaX-i3D, Dentium Rainbow CT)
- • Orthodontic practice: 12×9 or larger, Ceph arm required (e.g., Planmeca ProMax 3D, Rayscan Alpha Plus)
- • Oral surgery / TMJ / airway: 16×17 or larger (e.g., Carestream CS 9300 Select full-cranio)
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