Discuss the arguments for and against the use of the cone beam CT scanner.

Cone beam CT (CBCT) scanners produce accurate three-dimensional (3-D) images. They use a cone-shaped beam. Digital processing produces a virtually distortion-free 3-D image. Although the use of this technology is controversialcritics maintain that all the positive reviews are from people and groups with a financial interest in the technologysome dentists are using CBCT scanners for planning dental implants, planning extractions, orthodontia, to find periodontal defects, and in endodontics, to measure root canals and their configuration. CBCT imaging is also used in maxillofacial surgery, to find bony defects in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and to study sinuses.
Those who support the use of CBCT scanners point to lower cost, more patients served in less time, and better images. They also maintain that the patient is exposed to less radiation than in conventional scans. However, a report in the British Journal of Radiology last year concluded that CBCT scans produced significantly higher' levels of radiation than conventional dental imaging. The standard orthodontic scan for the i-CAT produces five times as much radiation as a two-dimensional panoramic scan, said Dr. Ludlow, the North Carolina radiation researcher. Depending upon the model and setting, other scanners produce 4 to 67 times as much as conventional X-rays, he added. More and objective studies are needed.