Practice Solutions: DentiMax by David J. Arnett, MBA

Digital imaging is the current standard in the dental profession but when considering sensors, there’s a lot of information dentists don’t know that they don’t know.

Most doctors are concerned about the quality of the image that the sensor produces—and rightly so! The sensor should produce a crisp, clear image with good contrast and sharpness. But sometimes doctors overlook the software that comes with their sensor. The software might even be more important than the sensor itself.

One of the key things dentists need to be aware of is whether or not their imaging software is an “open system”—the software needs to work with their panoramic X-ray machine, their intraoral camera and other manufacturer’s sensors, too. I guarantee that sometime down the road, someone’s going to release a new sensor that you’re going to want to consider.

I can’t tell you how many doctors are held hostage by the free but proprietary software that came with their original sensor. Open software, meanwhile, lets you plug-and-play with any hardware, including any sensor.

The third important element is what I would call post-sale support. By their very nature, sensors are expensive; even so-called “cheap” sensors cost thousands of dollars. The last thing a dentist needs is for a sensor to go down and not have the proper backing from the manufacturer. Your sensor should include a multiyear warranty, with a provision for the manufacturer to overnight a replacement.

Patient comfort, power sources and try-before-you-buy options
Thinness is important; however, in terms of patient comfort the biggest innovation is sensors that have rounded, beveled corners. Sensors that have physically rounded and cut corners will have a cut wafer, which produces an X-ray image with cut corners as well. This type of image is commonplace for offices that have kept current with some of the newer digital sensors.

I believe dentists should go with a new complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor instead of the charge-coupled device technology that had been used in older sensors.

Really, though, the best thing you can do is test a sensor with your own X-ray head and computer, to see what kind of image it produces. Some companies offer a try-before-you-buy option with their sensors, taking the guesswork out of it. The proof is in the pudding, so to speak!

From an engineering standpoint, a DentiMax sensor should work without degradation for up to 500,000 exposures. If you’re taking 1,680 exposures a month, that means the sensor has a potential lifespan of about 25 years. From real-world experience, we know a sensor will easily last five years, and should last up to seven years if your staff properly uses it care cares for it.

When we’re talking about durability, some sensors, such as those by DentiMax, should work without degradation. Image quality will continue to improve, of course, sensors will continue to get smaller and prices will continue to go down. Some sensor manufacturers that currently provide closed software systems will make their systems more open.