Getting your systems to play nicely together is the key
The dental practice of the 21st Century looks nothing like the practice of even 20 years ago. Paper-based systems are being replaced by digital as practices move towards a chartless, if not completely paperless, office. The area that has seen the largest growth over the past decade is digital radiography. While this technology is exciting, many dentists are surprised to find out that choosing the digital x-ray system is the easiest part, as there are many other issues to consider, and that will be the focus of this article.
One of the most challenging decisions for the dentist to make is not necessarily which sensor system to get, but rather, which image management software should be purchased. Unlike the majority of software on the market where almost all peripherals work with almost all software (think Microsoft Office and printers from other companies), this is not the case with image management software. Many of the image programs are owned by large dental supply companies, and while these companies will make it easy to use digital x-rays that they sell, it is often not an option to pair their software with digital x-rays from other vendors.
So, for many offices, they really have two basic options: do they get the image management software that is sold by their practice management software (PMS) company, or do they get a third-party image program? There are pro and cons with both options. While the image software from your PMS company may limit your options, it does come with tighter integration, one phone number to call for support, and an easier process to attach images to e-claims. For third-party programs, the integration isn’t as tight and requires additional software for sending image attachments, but the software works with a far greater range of digital systems and usually comes with a price tag that is a fraction of what the image program from the PMS will cost.
The Weakest Link?
For the majority of offices, getting the best image possible is the one of the main factors when choosing a digital x-ray system. Some practices struggle to achieve the same results they witnessed when the sales rep gave them a demo of the system, and this is because many fail to understand how many links there are in the digital x-ray chain. While the sensor itself is important, it’s my feeling that it is only a small part of what affects image quality. The software itself is the most important component: the sensors just capture a bunch of 0’s and 1’s, but it is the software algorithms that take those 0’s and 1’s and make them look like teeth. Other factors would be the x-ray head (AC vs. DC), the monitor, video card, USB cables and ports, the exposure time, sensor positioning, and about half a dozen other factors. Digital x-rays are a paradigm shift in dentistry, and offices must have proper training, not only to learn the software, but to understand how these components are affecting the overall image.
How’d You Do That?
One of the main selling points of image management software is that it can enhance the images to improve your ability to diagnose disease. It’s important to understand that a good digital x-ray image does not look the same as a good film image, as the digital images capture more information and thus often show more shades of gray. These images may look a little fuzzier and washed out than film, but they will be able to detect subtle difference in color changes. Many dentists will try to make these images look closer to film, but they should understand that most of the image enhancements are actually filters, and like all filters, they remove data from the image. In my opinion, filters and enhancements should be used sparingly. If the dentist has to spend chairside time to enhance all of their images, then there is likely something wrong with one of the other components that I discussed above.
By understanding the role of software and the many links in the digital radiography chain, dentists will be able to make intelligent purchasing decisions and get the best possible images from their system.