Phosphor Plates vs Digital Dental X-Ray Sensors or both, which is the right choice for your dental practice?
Any size dental practice has to answer this question at one point in time. The decision of using phosphor plates vs digital dental sensors is generally based on the dentist’s personal preference. There are a few main distinguishing points that are easily discernable.
- Price vs ROI
- Dental Imaging Clarity
- Time and Speed
- Patient Comfort
Any dentist or dental technician who has used both dental imaging technologies knows there is a noticeable time difference when dental images are captured using phosphor plates. When taking the initial PA (periapical) for both anterior and posterior teeth it will take a bit longer than subsequent PAs. If your dental practice does a lot of endo or dental implants, then you will find a digital x-ray sensor is better suited and worth the additional investment. While phosphor plates are not as rapid and nimble as the wired systems, they do work great as backup systems and for days with heavy patient volumes.
There is a fine line when trying to determine the difference in dental imaging quality between phosphor plates and dental x-ray sensors. Spatial resolution in radiology is hard to differentiate with the naked eye. When viewed on a computer monitor, tablet or patient view portable camera, the line pairs/mm in dental image quality are easily discernable. Some dentists are more particular than others when it comes to dental image quality. The line pair issue is minimal in the big picture when making a choice between phosphor plates and dental x-ray sensors.
Thinner, more flexible PSPs may be more comfortable for the patient than digital sensors, ie when positioning next to mandibular tori.
It is clearly established that phosphor plates (PSP plate) main advantage is their lower cost. Their speed is noticeably different thus resulting in longer patient times. Replacement of sensors is much less for PSP plates too. BUT…. when dealing with Dental X-ray Sensors from Video Dental you can throw the cost portion out the window.
Video Dental offers the most trusted and lengthy warranties for dental x-ray sensors. There is no smoke and mirrors or bait and switch tactics with their dental x-ray sensor warranties and fees . A common practice for many x-ray sensor manufacturers and distributors is to offer enrollment fees or annual subscription fees. At Video Dental our x ray sensors come with two-year warranties against defects and seven years for accidental damage. Our seven-year replacement plan has zero, zilch, nada, zip, nil, naught and nothing when it comes to enrollment or annual fees. Our warranties for dental x-rays sensors are the most complete and protective being offered in the marketplace today.
The majority of dental practices today incorporate both phosphor plates and dental x-ray sensors. PSP for PANs and as a backup, and digital dental x-ray sensors for most PA and bitewing shots. There are many scenarios in which it is a best practice to offer both types regardless of how large or small your dental practice is. Call Video Dental today if you have any questions about phosphor plates or dental x ray sensors. Buying direct from the manufacturer or an approved distributor is the ideal situation. This will ultimately protect your investment for all of your dental imaging technology. Our US based support staff is comprised of leading dental imaging pioneers. Video Dental was the first company to introduce dental sensors to North American in 1992. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_radiography
Video Dental offers US based support and we will always be there to assist you with any of our dental imaging products. Our dental imaging experts can even login remotely to your machines and help get them running properly.
Stay tuned for next week’s blog article topic!
Capture, Enhance & Display All Your Dental Images with Apteryx dental imaging software.
Leave a Reply