Digital x-ray sensor

A digital sensor is a thin, rigid plate on a cable (some are wireless) that replaces film. The image appears on the computer screen within seconds. Sensors are expensive and touch the inside of the mouth, so they need careful handling.

How to spot it

• A black or gray rectangle about the size of a postage stamp or larger, on a cable with a USB plug.

What it is used for

• Cover it with an FDA-cleared barrier sleeve, place it in a holder, and position it in the mouth.
• Holders and positioning devices are heat-sterilized between patients.

Safety and care

• Sensors are semicritical (they touch mucous membranes). If they cannot be sterilized, use a barrier and then clean and disinfect with an intermediate-level disinfectant after each patient.
• Barriers can tear; do not skip the disinfection step.
• Do not bend the cable sharply or drop the sensor.

Related

• Intraoral x-ray unit
• Phosphor plates and PSP scanner

Sources: CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17), Iannucci JM, Howerton LJ. Dental Radiography: Principles and Techniques, 6th ed. Elsevier, 2022