Dr. Mark Cannon’s practice has always embraced new technology that improves the quality of patient care—especially for young patients and those with special needs. Operating in a specialty practice requires that he and his team spend the extra time and care to offer the best, most comfortable treatment. Since implementing Air Techniques’ ScanX Swift View, a universal digital radiography system for all intraoral formats, Dr. Cannon has found an easier and more productive way to treat patients with a range of needs. One of the reasons, he said, is the thin, wireless phosphor storage plate (PSP).
“We see many very young patients who inherently have smaller mouths, while we also see older patients with severe medical disabilities, such as dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (EB),” noted Dr. Cannon. “These patients literally cannot tolerate big, thick sensors, which would hurt them. That’s the very last thing we want to do!”
Recently, a young patient with EB who was fearful of dental visits was referred to the practice. After taking the necessary precautions to protect the patient’s skin and oral mucosa, Dr. Cannon applied a lubricant to his gloves and to the ScanX PSP. “The PSPs are very thin and flexible, allowing for easy placement in small mouths—especially those that are constricted due to scar formation,” said Dr. Cannon, who in this case was able to take radiographs without trauma to the patient.
Air Techniques’ ScanX PSPs—available in 5 sizes—take high-quality images that are automatically saved and optimized by imaging software. Filters can then be used to adjust the contrast and sharpness of an image, allowing clinicians to easily discuss diagnoses and treatment plans with patients.
“The ScanX Swift View is unique in that it provides a very high-resolution image very comfortably, with the ability to see the image as it is being scanned,” said Dr. Cannon. “Plus, the touchscreen allows team members to do data entry and also see the image as it is being processed.”
Swift Integration
WiFi functionality and LAN connectivity allow ScanX Swift View to be easily integrated into a practice’s existing network. The unit can be placed anywhere in the office, and scan jobs can be sent from any workstation. In Dr. Cannon’s office, the digital radiography system is positioned in one of the open bays for oral hygiene, which is convenient for the entire dental team.
“Its small footprint and wireless connectivity mean it can literally be anywhere in your office,” noted Dr. Cannon. “That means that your team members don’t have to go far at all to process the images they are capturing.”
Dr. Cannon said the ScanX Swift View integrated perfectly with his office’s new cloud-based practice management system. Now, all of the images that are captured go directly into patients’ folders and are stored safely in the cloud.
