Imaging & X-Ray
197 products
Dental x ray positioning is where a retake is won or lost. This department carries about 200 listings for digital and phosphor plate radiography from Directa, Pac-Dent, RMH3 Dental Supply, 3D Dental, Cargus, HDI-DENU, Jinme and Palmero, covering positioners and aiming devices, sensors and imaging plates, barriers and shielding.
Positioning systems are colour-coded by projection so the assembly is picked up correctly in a busy operatory: blue for anterior, yellow for posterior, red for bitewing. Each projection uses a bite block, an indicating arm and an aiming ring that align the beam to the sensor, which is what keeps cone cuts, foreshortening and elongation out of the series. Arms and rings are stocked individually as well as in sets, so a broken component does not cost a whole kit.
Digital sensor holders differ from film holders in one respect that matters: a rigid sensor has a thick, hard edge, so the bite block has to hold it parallel to the long axis of the tooth without the patient closing it into the palate or the floor of the mouth. Sensors are sized 0, 1 and 2, and holders, sleeves and bite block covers are ordered to match. X-ray sensor sleeves and bite block covers are the barrier layer between the sensor and the patient and are single-use.
How to choose
- Buy positioners as a colour-coded system: blue anterior, yellow posterior, red bitewing, so the team picks the right one without thinking.
- Match the holder to the sensor size you own. A size 2 sensor will not sit correctly in a holder designed around a size 0.
- Confirm whether you are on rigid digital sensors or phosphor plates; plates are flexible and thin, sensors are not, and the holders are different.
- Stock arms and aiming rings individually as spares, because these are the parts that get dropped and autoclaved most often.
- Order barriers by the box, matched to sensor and bite block size, and treat them as single-use.
- Check that the holder is autoclavable at your cycle if it is not a disposable component.
Frequently asked questions
Why are x-ray positioners colour-coded?
Colour maps to projection so the team picks up the right assembly without reading a label: blue for anterior, yellow for posterior, red for bitewing. The arm and aiming ring of a given colour belong together, and keeping the set intact is what preserves beam alignment to the sensor.
Are digital sensor holders the same as film holders?
No. A rigid digital sensor is thicker and cannot flex around the palate or the floor of the mouth, so its holder has to grip the sensor and hold it parallel to the tooth's long axis while the patient closes. Using a film holder with a sensor is a common cause of cone cuts and cut-off apices.
Do x-ray sensor sleeves have to be changed between patients?
Yes. Sleeves and bite block covers are single-use barriers; they are removed and discarded between patients, and the sensor is then disinfected according to its manufacturer's instructions. Barriers are not a substitute for disinfection, and a torn or loose sleeve should be replaced before the exposure.
What sensor sizes do holders cover?
Digital sensors are supplied in sizes 0, 1 and 2, with size 0 used for children and small anteriors and size 2 for adult posterior and bitewing work. Holders, sleeves and barrier envelopes are sized to match, so order them against the sensor size the practice actually uses.
How quickly do imaging supplies ship?
In-stock positioners, holders and barriers ordered by 3 PM ET ship the same day from Northern Virginia. Barrier products are stocked in box quantities such as 300 per box, which is the practical reorder unit for a practice taking radiographs daily.