How Much Does a Cone Beam CT Scan Cost?

If you're asking this question, you usually mean one of two things: the cost of sending a patient off for a single scan, or the cost of buying your own CBCT machine and stopping the referrals altogether.

This post is about the second one — what it really costs to own a cone beam CT scanner in your practice, all in. Not just the sticker price, but installation, room prep, training, running costs, finance and tax. And, just as importantly, whether it pays for itself.

We install these machines every week, so the figures below are real UK prices, not estimates.

The honest headline number

That figure includes:

• VAT
• The acquisition PC
• Installation
• The critical examination
• Training
• Warranty

At that price you get the Carestream 8200 Access, with a maximum field of view of 8×9. For a lot of general and implant work, that's all you need.

What you pay for as the price climbs

The main thing driving the price is field of view and features. Here's how the entry options compare:

So the choice isn't simply "cheap versus expensive." For roughly the same £33,000, an Acteon gives you a bigger field of view and more features than the entry Carestream. It pays to compare properly rather than buy on brand alone.

The cost most people forget: the room

The machine is only part of the job. You'll need a suitable room, and this is where budgets slip if you're not warned early.

You'll need:

• A room of at least 1500mm × 1500mm
• Either solid brick walls or code 3 lead lining
• A leaded door — budget around £3,000
• Electrical and network preparation

Running costs are lower than you think

This surprises people. There are no ongoing software licences with Acteon or Carestream — you own the software with the machine.

Your only regular costs are:

• An annual service every 12 months — around £700 + VAT
• A critical examination every 3 years — again around £700 + VAT

That's it. For a piece of equipment this valuable, the upkeep is modest.

Does it actually pay for itself?

On 5-year finance, a machine like this costs around £700 per month.

You can charge patients £150–£200 per scan, which alone starts to chip away at that. But the scan fee isn't where the real return comes from. The treatment it generates is.

Think about how an implant case runs without your own scanner:

• Refer the patient out for a scan
• Bring them back in for another visit
• Get them in again to review and plan

Now do it in one appointment: scan, plan the treatment digitally, explain it to the patient there and then, and give them an accurate quote and timeline in a single visit.

You look more professional and more qualified. The patient understands their treatment and can say yes on the spot. The machine becomes an ethical sales tool — you're showing patients exactly what's going on and why they need treatment, with the images in front of them.

Every dentist we've supplied says the same thing: they can't believe they worked without it.

A real example

Put that against £700 a month in finance and the maths speaks for itself. The machine didn't just cover its cost — it grew the business.

Finance and tax

Most dentists buy on finance, and that's the sensible route.

• We use all the finance companies available and find you the cheapest rate — you're not tied to one lender.
• You can usually claim tax relief, but the amount depends on your set-up. A sole trader and a limited company are treated differently, so talk to your accountant before you buy.
• Prefer not to own it? We also rent machines out. We keep ownership and maintain the machine throughout the rental period, so there's no capital outlay and no service worries.

What separates a good purchase from a regret

Buying the machine is easy. Living with it for the next ten years is what matters. A few things to watch:

• Look hard at the software. This is the mistake we see most. People focus on the scanner and ignore the software they'll use every single day. We regularly hear from dentists who bought other brands and can't stand the software they're stuck with.
• Ongoing support is king. When you have a query mid-clinic, you need an answer fast, not a ticket number.

Here's where we're different. We're the only reseller who also runs our own scanning clinic — our trainers use these machines every day and know them inside out. Our training on Acteon and Carestream reflects that. And after the sale, you go into a WhatsApp group for quick, direct support when you need it.

Which machine is right for you?

Match the field of view to the work you do.

• The sweet spot for most dentists is 10×10. It captures the 8s for complicated extractions, but avoids scanning the spine — which would trigger the need for an external radiology report. It's the practical middle ground for general and implant work.
• For endodontics, both the Carestream Access and the Acteon Optima are excellent. They offer 75-micron small-field, high-resolution scans — the detail you need for endo — at a low dose. A dual-jaw scan is roughly the same radiation as around 12 hours on an aeroplane.

The bottom line

A CBCT machine starts from around £33,000 all in, or roughly £700 a month on finance. Add a suitable room and modest annual servicing, and that's the true cost of ownership.

For a busy implant or general practice, it rarely stays a cost for long. It brings referrals in-house, wins more treatment, and lets you diagnose and plan in a single visit.

If you'd like an exact, all-in quote for your practice — including room advice and finance options — get in touch and we'll talk you through it.