CBCT uses less radiation than medical CT but more than a typical dental X-ray.

• A. CBCT uses less radiation than medical CT but more than a typical dental X-ray.
• B. CBCT uses more radiation than medical CT.
• C. CBCT uses less radiation than a typical dental X-ray.
• D. CBCT uses the same radiation as medical CT.

Answer: (A)

The concept here is how radiation dose stacks up across dental imaging modalities. A single intraoral dental X-ray delivers a small dose because it targets a tiny area with a single projection. Cone-beam CT, while designed for dental 3D imaging, uses multiple projections around the patient to construct a volume, so it generally exposes the patient to more radiation than a single 2D dental radiograph. Medical CT scans, on the other hand, cover larger regions and use higher exposure settings, leading to the highest doses among these options.

Dose for CBCT depends on factors like field of view, voxel size, scan time, and patient size. In typical dental CBCT protocols with a moderate field of view, the effective dose is greater than a dental X-ray but substantially lower than a head CT. That’s why the statement is accurate: CBCT uses less radiation than medical CT but more than a typical dental X-ray. If a CBCT uses an unusually large field of view or extremely fine resolution, the dose can rise, but even then it usually remains below medical CT doses.