Orthopantomograph: what is it, Vatech or Vanmeca

It is difficult to imagine a dental office without a special X-ray machine.

It is being replaced by a new generation device - an orthopantomograph.

It greatly simplifies and improves the quality of the work of specialists.

What is an orthopantomograph?

Orthopantomograph is a panoramic X-ray machine, with the help of which research in dentistry is carried out. It is also used in surgery, ENT practice, cosmetology. The dentist receives high quality dental images.

Thanks to the device, the diagnosis becomes as accurate as possible. It also becomes possible to control treatment at every stage and reduce the formation and development of potential complications. Today, two types of devices are used - digital and film.

One of the advantages of the device is that the image shows an expanded image of all teeth and both jaws with adjacent parts of the skull. This is the main difference from X-ray photography. A conventional X-ray machine allows you to obtain an image of 3 by 4 cm - about 3-4 teeth.

An orthopantomograph is used in the following cases:

1. To determine the lesions (pathological changes) of the hard tissues of the tooth (defects, trauma, inflammation, the presence of additional channels).
2. To determine pathological changes / lesions of the jaw bones (inflammation, trauma, neoplasms).
3. State determination periodontium, identification of soft tissue lesions and assessment of the condition before the forthcoming implantation.
4. Assessment of the situation at each stage of therapy.

Principle of operation

The operation of the device is similar in principle to a conventional X-ray device and a tomograph. A special x-ray emitter and a sensor or a film cassette move around the patient's head. After the information is processed and a snapshot is obtained. On it, the image of a curved object is flat. The pantomograph creates a 3D model of the jaw / jaw joints.

Additional programs may be used depending on the model. For example, an image of one of the jaws (upper or lower), shooting for children, enlarging the image.

Panoramic shooting of teeth on video:

The difference between digital and film models

As mentioned earlier, there are two types of pantomographs - film and digital.

Film

Film is an X-ray diagnostic machine that uses film to take pictures. The advantages of the device are the reasonable price and the skills of the employees to work with X-ray machines. A photo laboratory is needed to develop the images.

To create it, additional costs will be required - a developing machine, film and reagents for developing. Another inconvenient moment - according to regulatory documents, the creation of photo laboratories in residential premises (apartment buildings) is prohibited. For private offices, this causes a number of inconveniences.

Digital

Digital - a device that uses a special sensor to obtain an image. Many experts consider a digital device to be a more profitable purchase, which will pay for itself over time. He does not need special equipment to process and obtain results, the data is displayed on the computer monitor screen.

The advantage of this type is the absence of expensive consumables. The radiation dose is reduced by about 2-3 times compared to the film. Another point is the speed of image acquisition. The doctor receives the result immediately after the examination. The film processing stage is skipped. The data is stored on a computer.

What to look for when choosing a device?

When choosing an orthopantomograph, you should pay attention to the following points:

• before purchasing, you need to evaluate the quality of the images and compare them with each other;
• number of programs - you should not take models with extensive options that will not be used due to the specifics of the dental office;
• time of taking and exposure of the picture;
• price - the device is selected that will meet the requests without unnecessary overpayments;
• warranty period of service;
• the dimensions and appearance of the apparatus must correspond to the office where the study will take place;
• the possibility of additional equipment for some models;
• the presence of a control panel (if necessary) - as a rule, such a function is paid.

Important! Special attention is paid to the installation of X-ray equipment. Many manufacturers do not include this service in the price of an orthopantomograph. Most often, the installation price depends on the cost of the device itself. On average, it ranges from $ 800 to $ 1600. This must be specified at the time of purchase. There are companies that remove from warranty service equipment that is installed either incorrectly or by outside specialists.

As a rule, the most expensive are Japanese-made models, followed by German and Italian ones. This fact should also be considered when choosing.

Models on the Russian market - overview and prices

Popular devices on the Russian market:

1. Orthophos 3 - German-made film device. Has 3 programs, it takes 14 seconds to take a picture. Manufacturer - Sirona. The cost is about 15 thousand. Euro.
2. X-Caliber EX 1000 - Japanese-made film device. Equipped with 6 programs, exposure time - 12 seconds. Manufacturer - Takara. Price - 21 thousand. dollars.
3. Strato 2000 - Italian-made film machine. There are 22 programs, it takes 15 seconds to take a picture. Manufacturer - VillaSistemi Medicali. Approximate price - 17 thousand. Euro.
4. Orthophos XG3DS - digital X-ray device, which is manufactured in Germany. Has 5 programs. The waiting time is 15 seconds. Manufacturer - Sirona. Cost - 35 thousand. Euro.
5. CDRPanX - digital pantomograph with 8 programs, made in the USA. The exposure time is 19 seconds. The manufacturer is SchickTechnologies. Average price - 33.5 thousand. dollars.
6. Kodak 8000 (Trophy Pan) - French-made digital orthopantomograph. The device has 15 programs, the exposure time is 18 seconds. Manufacturer - Kodak Dental Systems (Trophy). The cost is about 30 thousand. Euro.
7. Planmeca Pro One - a digital device manufactured in Finland. Has 5 programs, exposure time is 5 seconds. Manufacturer - Planmeca. Average price - 13 thousand. dollars.

There are also models with cephalostats, but their cost is much higher:

1. Orthophos 3 Ceph - film model of an ortapantomograph with a cephalostat. Has 7 programs. The manufacturer is Sirona. Approximate price in euros - 25 thousand.
2. Orthoralix 9200 Ceph - another film device with a cephalostat. Equipped with 4 programs. Produced by the Italian company Gendex. Average cost in euros - 26 thousand
3. PaX-150 C - a film device with a cephalostat, which is produced in South Korea. The number of programs is 6. The manufacturer is Vatech. Approximate cost - 20 thousand. dollars.
4. Veraview Epocs 5CP - Japanese film ortapantomograph with cephalostat. Has 4 programs. The manufacturer is J. Morita Corporation. Average cost - 28 thousand. Euro.
5. Orthophos XG 5 DS Ceph - digital model. The number of programs is 8. The manufacturer is the German company Sirona. Price in euros - about 50 thousand
6. Kodak 8000 C - digital pantomograph with cephalostat, which is manufactured in France. Has an extensive number of programs - 21. The manufacturer is Kodak Dental Systems. The average cost of a device in euros is 55 thousand.
7. PaX-400 C1 - a digital apparatus with a Korean-made cephalostat. Compared to previous versions - a more budgetary version. The device has 7 programs. The manufacturer is Vatech. The average cost is about 42 thousand. dollars.

Three manufacturers Vatech, Planmeca and Sirona are more common on the Russian market. The companies represented are approximately at the same functional level. Which is better than Vatech, Planmeca or Sirona cannot be said right away. It is necessary to evaluate each model separately.

Dental equipment from Vatech, video review:

Orthopantomograph Planmeca, video review:

Orthopantomograph Sirona, video review: