A dental practice basically contains a small operating theatre. The dental chair alone will cost from $30,000 upwards. You then need a setup for the drills and ultrasonic scalers, a compressor to run them, a bright overhead light, a suction unit, dental x-ray machine. Other optional fancy machines like lasers, air abrasion units, and CAD/CAM machines easily run into the hundreds of thousands.

Dental X-rays are one of the most important part of your regular dental treatment. Your dentist uses the specialized imaging technology to look for hidden tooth decay – also called cavities – and can show dental issues such as abscessed teeth, dental tumors, and cysts.

Additionally, your dental X-rays allow your dentist to see the condition of prior dental procedures, such as fillings, crowns, root canals, and bridges. And, too, your dentist will be able to look for possible bone loss as a result of periodontal gum disease and find hidden tartar build up.

In addition to diagnostics, your dentist may choose to perform dental X-rays in order to check for bone density as part of preparing you for dental implants, which require an adequate density in order to support the implants.

While many patients see their dentist in-office, others require the dentist and equipment to go to them. Those who are incarcerated, home-bound, in nursing homes, working in underdeveloped locations or stationed on military bases are just some of the patients who may benefit from having access to a portable dental x-ray. Teeth problems could not only be painful but could also cause many health problems.

When contemplating the change to digital dental in your practice, the choices can be confusing for the dentist. Dental radiography has evolved from film and chemical developers into a highly technical process that involves various types of digital x-ray machines, as well as powerful dental software programs to assist the dentist with image acquisition and diagnostic analysis of the acquired images. When making the decision to purchase x-ray equipment, the doctor needs to research the available options thoroughly, in order to make an informed choice for the “right” machine for his or her practice.