There’s more to providing great patient care than just having high-quality dental equipment in your office. You must also take the time to care for and maintain your equipment. By remaining proactive about dental X-ray machine maintenance, you can avoid costly repairs that also limit your ability to diagnose or complete dental treatment for your patients. What does it take to keep your equipment in top working order? Take a look below.
Safety is Always the #1 Priority
Keeping your dental X-ray machine in top working order is vital in order to produce the best images. Even small things like smudges, cracks, and dust can diminish the diagnostic quality of images.
Proper image control settings such as brightness and contrast allow for more accurate diagnoses. Train your staff on how to check magnification, resolution, gray levels, and contrast.
Follow manufacturer's guidelines for appropriate barrier and disinfection/sterilization procedures specifically for panoramic dental X-ray machines and their components. Not all chemicals are safe for these machines and can corrode X-ray parts and surfaces.
Radiation will always be a concern for your staff and patients. Although dental extraoral X-ray radiation exposure is minimal compared to medical imaging devices, it is still best practice to minimize exposure whenever possible. Always make sure patients are wearing lead aprons when receiving X-rays. Also make sure that your staff is supplied with Thermoluminescent Dosimetry Badges (TDLs) to monitor radiation levels and that they stand behind protective barriers or at least 6 feet away from the radiation beam when capturing images. Be sure to follow all state guidelines for X-ray safety for both patients and team members alike!
Be Aware of Risks
To maintain safety for your patients, develop a regular maintenance routine for your dental X-ray machine. Hardware should be calibrated and serviced on a consistent basis for quality assurance and quality control. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when performing any maintenance tasks.
Any staff members that use the X-ray equipment should be trained to perform routine checks, typically both before and after use of the machine. It’s easiest to provide a list of instructions for what to inspect, as well as how to report any issues. If you do detect a problem, you can contact the manufacturer or dealer for service. Avoid using the machine until the issue has been addressed by professional staff and cleared for use.
5 Star Service from Renew Digital
When you shop for a dental X-ray machine with Renew Digital, you’re not only getting high-quality equipment at a great price, you’re also getting our 5-star customer service. From the moment you contact us for more information about our available units, through the purchase and installation in your office, we’re here to help. We can also train you and your staff on how to use and care for your X-ray equipment, and if you ever have a question or run into an issue, we’re just one phone call away.
Shop online today, give us a call at 888-246-5611, or contact us online and we’ll be happy to help you find the right dental X-ray machine for your dental practice’s needs.
