As the leading provider of certified pre-owned digital imaging equipment, we often speak with dentists and dental specialists who are ready to upgrade their extraoral imaging to support the needs of their practices. For many practices, this means proactively upgrading a panorex X-ray machine to CBCT (cone beam computed tomography), as a means of increasing their diagnostic and treatment planning capabilities.
Others yet are still undecided about whether or not to upgrade and if the costs are worth it - or how to afford it. If you are thinking about upgrading your panorex system to a dental CBCT machine, understanding the key benefits of integrating 3D imaging into your workflow can help with the decision.
One of the most common reasons that dental professionals seek 3D imaging technology is to be able to offer optimized imaging for specialized treatments,such as dental implants, to their patients. Increasing your in-house capabilities allows you to minimize outsourcing, keeping your schedule full, servicing more patients and improving patient care at the same time.
It’s also important to keep in mind that most dental CBCT systems also have a dedicated 2D panoramic imaging setting for capturing traditional 2D scans as well. In this instance, upgrading will not limit the capabilities of a practice; it will only expand them. This flexibility also enables dental professionals to adhere to the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle while administering dental X-rays to patients.
Dental CBCT allows you to visualize a cross-sectional view of a patient’s anatomy, which helps provide more clinical data during treatment planning. This advanced capability provides critical information that cannot be obtained from 2-dimensional images.
In fact, for implant procedures, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiography (AAOMR) has recommended cross-sectional imaging for the assessment of all dental implant sites since 2012, with cone beam being the cross-sectional imaging method of choice.
With benefits to both the practice and its patients, marketing the fact that a practice has CBCT capabilities is becoming increasingly prevalent. Patients today have access to more information than ever about dental imaging options and dental services. Having so much information at your disposal so quickly has also made it easier for consumers to read reviews online and perform searches for local dental practices.
This makes it important to stay competitive with other local practices. If your competitors offer advanced imaging options and a greater list of dental services, it may benefit your practice to offer the same or better.
It is also important to consider the referrals that come to your office. If many of them are referred out for services that require the advanced imaging quality and expanded capabilities of a CBCT system, it may be in your best interest to invest in a dental CT scan for your practice as well.
Retaining more procedures in-house - relying less on outsourcing - can have a direct impact on your bottom line as a practice. Your ability to market the capabilities of your practice and being able to mention the advanced imaging systems used by your practice can help you attract more high-value patients. This gives you two benefits: being able to attract new patients while also boosting patient retention at the same time.
Advanced profitability potential is also a justification for the expense of upgrading your panorex X-ray machine to a dental CBCT system. Being able to offer additional procedures in-house will help you recover the cost of the investment quickly.
On the topic of cost, used dental equipment qualifies for Section 179 tax deductions. This section of the IRS tax code allows businesses to make qualified investments and then deduct the cost as an expense. While this does not directly impact profitability, it can impact your practice’s ability to afford the investment in a pre-owned CBCT system.
3D imaging is raising the standard of care that’s expected from dental and specialist practices. With 3D imaging, you can more accurately plan procedures and anticipate challenges that may not be apparent with traditional 2D imaging. More accurate planning leads to quicker treatment with less surprises. And, typically, quicker, more successful treatments equal happier patients.
If you’re ready to trade in your panorex X-ray machine and upgrade to a pre-owned dental CBCT system but aren’t sure where to begin, get in touch with one of our experienced sales professionals today. Our team is brand neutral, which means we can offer a wide variety of used dental X-rays to help practices like yours choose a system that will work best for your imaging needs.
We can also help you save on the price of a certified pre-owned system. All of our pre-owned dental CBCT systems are from industry-leading manufacturers and are priced as much as 30% to 50% below the cost of new systems. If you’re interested in trading in your panoramic dental X-ray system, we may be able to accept your equipment as a trade-in towards your purchase.
The price of our certified pre-owned digital dental X-ray machines covers installation as well as training for your staff. We also provide a comprehensive warranty that covers remote support as well as replacement parts and onsite service.
Call us at (888) 246-5611 or contact us online to get started.