If you’re looking at the prospect of updating your practice’s current extraoral dental X-ray equipment in the near future, there are numerous factors you will have to weigh, including but not limited to machine footprint (accounting for the difference between actual and recommended size), modality (i.e. panoramic, cephalometric and/or CBCT), desired feature set (i.e. extraoral bitewings, upgradeability), and probably most importantly, price.
In recent years, many practices have turned to used dental X-ray equipment for their extraoral imaging needs as the market has been flooded with pre-owned digital panoramic X-ray machines and first and second-generation cone beam systems. Used dental equipment dealers, such as Renew Digital, offer a wide range of certified pre-owned dental panorex and CBCT systems at up to 30-50% off the cost of new devices, making this an attractive option for any practice on a budget.
One of the primary concerns dentists and dental specialists have with purchasing used dental equipment is the age of the available pre-owned systems. They want to make sure that the used dental X-ray equipment they purchase today will continue to be supported, that parts will remain available, and that they remain operational and reliable for many years to come.
Age: It’s Just a Number
The first thing you need to remember is that age is just a number, and that the date of manufacture does not always correlate to quality or performance. While it is true that some buyers are concerned about ongoing support and parts availability for used dental equipment models that are no longer in production, the age of the machine alone does not necessarily affect its quality, longevity or value.
Exposure Count
Many extraoral dental X-ray equipment models keep track of the number of exposures they capture throughout their lifetime. In some devices, you can even tell how many of each different type of images (i.e. panoramic, extraoral bitewings, cephalometric and/or dental cone beam) were taken. This “shot count” in a used dental X-ray or CBCT machine is like the mileage tracked by the odometer in a used vehicle. Like with higher mileage pre-owned vehicles, typically the higher the exposure count, the lower the perceived value. And, conversely, the lower the “shot count,” the higher the used dental equipment value.
Exposure counts can vary greatly by practice and dental X-ray machine. For example, you can have a dental X-ray or CBCT that is several years old that was installed in a satellite office but is rarely used and has a very low exposure count. Or, you can have a relatively new dental panoramic X-ray or cone beam system that was placed in a high-volume office that has captured literally tens of thousands of exposures. So, age combined with exposure count is a good metric to judge used dental X-ray equipment value.
Maintenance
Just like vehicles and other technologically advanced devices, dental panoramic X-ray and cone beam systems need to be properly maintained in order to function optimally and deliver the highest quality images. You want to make sure that the used dental X-ray equipment that you purchase has been properly maintained per the manufacturer’s specifications by the previous owner. It is important that it has been regularly inspected and calibrated, and worn parts replaced when needed. Equipment kept in “like new condition” yields a higher resale value, regardless of age.
Hardware vs. Software
The difference between hardware and software is also important. You need to keep in mind that panoramic dental X-ray radiology itself is not new, and the extraoral imaging equipment that has been used to perform these scans has been around a very long time. Even dental cone beam, a relatively newer technology, has now been used for nearly two decades. In all this time, few advancements have been made to the actual hardware driving these devices. Sure, features such as extraoral bitewings and low-dose scans have been added over the years. But, otherwise, the technology has remained essentially the same.
What really matters and provides significant advances, is the software that is used to capture and manage the clinical images. Renew Digital upgrades every dental X-ray and cone beam system it sells to the latest possible software version. So, in effect, it’s like getting a brand new device, regardless of equipment manufacture date.
The Renew Digital Difference
Renew Digital has been in the business of buying and selling used dental X-ray equipment for more than a decade. They are careful to purchase only late-model dental X-ray units with the lowest possible exposure counts and that have been maintained with the utmost care. They stringently inspect and test each unit they purchase to ensure it is of the highest quality and meets manufacturers’ specifications. Plus, they back each panoramic X-ray and/or dental cone beam system with a comprehensive onsite service and replacement parts warranty and unlimited support from their very own Help Desk.
To learn more, call Renew Digital at 888-246-5611 or reach out via their online contact form today. Their consultative, brand-neutral Sales Team can help you find the exact equipment model to meet your diagnostic imaging needs both now and in the future. They can provide you with a list of available inventory based on brand, price, age, exposure count and feature set, so you can make the best possible used dental equipment decision.
