Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Jordan Stephenson VT, Hey Bud vet clinic, Brisbane, QLD
As clients have embraced the importance of dental health for their pets, we’re undertaking many more dental check-ups in our clinic. It’s one of the most popular procedures. The Revolution 4DC is an X-ray unit that takes high-quality images. It makes the whole procedure efficient and comprehensive.
What’s good about it
All patients undergoing a dental are under anaesthetic so the procedure should be as quick as possible. Once the patient is positioned, the X-ray is taken, the plate is run through a CR8 processor and the results appear on a computer screen. The CR8 can process two plates at a time so the process is very quick. The software allows for the teeth to be labelled and measured, while the images are saved directly to the patient file. From snapping the X-ray to the results appearing on screen takes no more than two minutes.
If the angle is slightly wrong, the root has been missed or it’s overexposed, you can quickly adjust and take another X-ray. The plates can be taken directly from the processor and used again. When you’re starting out and still learning how to use the machine, it takes around 30 minutes to do a full mouth X-ray. With practice, it’s easy to get that down to 20 minutes and it’s possible to do it in as little as six minutes.
The whole unit is compact with a moveable arm that holds the X-ray generator. It holds its position when you walk away so it’s easy to adjust when taking a second X-ray. iM3 also offers a phone helpline so if there’s a technical issue or an anomaly you can’t figure out, you just give them a call.
What’s not so good
It takes practice to become proficient. Initially, there will be a lot of retakes as you figure out the perfect angles.
