Intra Oral Dental Sensor Tips & Tricks

These are some things we have learned over the years. We would be happy to list your tips and credit you if you have something to share with your colleagues.

Sensors

  • Many of the sensors come with cords that are longer than necessary. At the USB end coil up the excess into a 6 inch coil and secure with Velcro tie wraps.
  • Most damage to sensors occurs when the cord is pulled from the sensor housing or rolled over on the floor. Mount a powered USB hub near the dental chair and plug the sensor in there. Train the staff to follow sensor manufacturers’ instructions on proper handling.
  • The Schick sensor covers work well for most sensors. They are sold in size 1 and 2. Again follow proper protocol when putting them on and off.
  • If your sensor does not come with a holder you can buy one from your dealer and mount it along side the chair near the USB hub.
  • Some insurance policies will cover accidental damage to electronic dental equipment. As an example insurance from the Wisconsin Dental Association covers accidental damage to sensors. You may want to consider this when looking at the cost of warranty insurance from the sensor company. Many sensors can be repaired but you may be without it for a while if you do not have insurance that will give you an overnight loaner.
  • Most of the time we use the #2 sensor. The sensors with rounded corners and thinner designs seem more comfortable. For gaggers we put salt on their tongue.

Software

  • Many of the dental imaging programs will work with many of the dental practice management programs. Data Grabber is a program that will do this. Click here to read about it.
  • Your data will always be safe if it is regularly backed up and you have a restore procedure in place. We backup our data at noon to another computer in the office, at night to a portable hard drive, and continually online to an outside company called Carbonite. A great deal at $55 per year.
  • Apteryx is a major manufacturer of dental imaging software. Their program is very comprehensive with many features but takes some learning to completely understand. They make versions that are relabeled under the names of Belmont, Cliniview, DDS Works, Dentimax, Prof Suni, Sigma, and others. The sensor testing is being done with Cliniview. We have had some experience with XDR Imaging and it is an easy to use dentist friendly program designed by dentists.
  • There are many enhancements that you can do to the raw images that can dramatically change the appearance and make things easier to see. Some of them are sharpening, smoothing, contrast and brightness changes, and spot enhancements. Experiment with these to see what you like. Sizing the single images to a smaller size on the screen may make it easier to read where a pan may look better in a larger format. For comparison purposes all images in the study are in the raw format.

Monitors

  • Xrays are read as shades of gray. The quality of the monitor can make a big difference how the images look. Buy monitors that have at least a 1000:1 typical contrast ratio. Most of our monitors are Samsung SyncMaster models. They also have great repair service if you have registered your monitor on their web site.
  • LED monitors are now available and offer bright screens with lower energy use. We like the 24 inch LG we recently purchased.
  • Dual monitors are necessary in the treatment rooms. One for the patient to view and one for the staff. Two monitors at all other work stations increase production. Click here to read a good Microsoft article.
  • A 17 or 19 inch monitor is fine for the patient to view. For the doctor and staff a 24 inch works great by allowing you to have several windows open and visible at the same time. We always have open the appointment book, patient chart, patient's images, and family file.

Computers, Connections, and X-ray Generators

  • If it is not convenient to keep your computer next to your dental chair it can be located up to 15 feet away and run a USB extension under the floor. Extension cables can also be used for your monitors and keyboard/mouse.
  • The computers in the treatment rooms need to be more capable than the computers at your front desk.
  • A local computer tech who understands your dental software is a valuable asset and can help keep the costs down. Today most companies will log into your computer and work on it remotely.
  • It helps to review the basics of radiology in terms of kV, mA, and time settings.
  • A 12 inch long cone gives better images.

Links to Educational Material

(We do not endorse any manufacturer but these contain some good information. Send us some more links if you know of some.)