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Dentistry technology
Find the best x-ray plate scanner
X-ray plate scanners can be surprisingly expensive, with some models costing over £10k. This article lists all the scanners for sale in the UK so you can make the wisest investment.
To compare the scanners in one view, see our one page summary.
o Market: UK o Last updated: 2024-11-01
Find the best x-ray plate scanner
Contents
Introduction Acteon/Satelec Carestream Dexis Dürr Dental NewTom Planmeca Woodpecker Summary
Introduction

Plate scanners digitise oral x-rays so that they can be analysed and stored. There are 16 scanners from 7 manufacturers on the market in the UK today, with prices ranging from £2,878 to over £10,000, making it worth choosing carefully. In this article we will look at all of them.

The range of x-ray plate scanners available is fairly limited compared to other items of dental equipment, like autoclaves and ultrasonic scalers, with almost half of the available scanners coming from one supplier, Dürr.

In this article we will look at all the alternatives available, as well as Dürr’s full range. Honourable mention goes to US-based Air Techniques, who have a range of plate scanners almost as large as Dürr’s, but they are unavailable in the UK so not included here.

These are the features to consider when choosing an x-ray plate scanner:
o Viewscreen
More expensive models of scanner have an integrated viewscreen, allowing the practicioner to quickly inspect the x-rays without having to open them on a computer.
o Standalone mode
Some plate scanners can also store images locally on the scanner itself. Combined with a viewscreen, this allows the x-rays to be used without connecting the device to a computer at all.
o Multiple plates
Whether the scanner can digitise multiple plates simultaneously. This makes the scanner physically larger but more efficient.
o Control type
The type of controls on the scanner unit. This is mainly for the practitioner’s preference and is not a factor in the price of the scanner.
o Plate sizes
The range of x-ray plate sizes which the scanner is able to read. Many of the lower end scanners are unable to read size 4 plates so this should be checked carefully.
o Connectivity
How the unit can connect to a computer in order to transfer the digitised x-rays. Scanners which connect via ethernet normally need to be connected to the router in your practice, rather than directly via to a computer. This depends on how the manufacturer has wired the unit, so if running an ethernet cable from the scanner to your router would be a problem, check the unit specs carefully before buying.
o Resolution
The resolution of the scanner, measured in line pairs per millimetre (LP/mm). Higher is better. The actual resolution of the scanned images will typically be lower than this, but because manufacturers do not use the same methodology to calculate actual resolutions, the figures are less comparable.
o Price inc VAT
The best price we have found for each unit, comparing across stockists. Prices include VAT.
With these features in mind,
here are the scanners.
Acteon/Satelec
Unrelated to the English company of the same name, Acteon makes a high precision dental equipment, including intraoral scanners and x-ray machines. If you are looking for an economic plate scanner from a very well-known brand, their PSPIX2 is a good option.
Acteon/Satelec
Country
France
UK Distributors
ukdentalsupplies.com; 360v.co.uk; ssdgroup.co.uk; dentalsky.com; wysdom.co.uk;
PSPIX2
PSPIX2
PSPIX2
Viewscreen
?
Yes
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Touchscreen
Plate sizes
?
0-4
Connectivity
?
Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
20
Dimensions (whd, cm)
20x15x19
Price inc VAT
?
£4,794
Carestream
Carestream is a medical imaging spinout of American camera pioneer Eastman Kodak. Its future is somewhat uncertain as Carestream filed for bankruptcy in 2022 but their wide range of x-ray products are used in hospitals around the world.
Carestream
Country
USA
UK Distributors
360v.co.uk; hulbertimaging.co.uk; thedentalimagingcompany.co.uk; dmi.co.uk;
CS 7200
CS 7200
CS 7200
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Buttons
Plate sizes
?
0-2
Connectivity
?
Ethernet & USB
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
19
Dimensions (whd, cm)
13x27x30
Price inc VAT
?
£5,039
CS 7600
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Touchscreen
Plate sizes
?
0-4
Connectivity
?
Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
18
Dimensions (whd, cm)
23.7x26.7x26
Price inc VAT
?
£5,999
CS 7600
CS 7600
Dexis
Dexis is a US-based imaging spinout of German dental equipment manufacturer KaVo, which has a reputation for very high quality. Their Scan eXam One is the second cheapest scanner in our survey.
Dexis
Country
USA
UK Distributors
dentalimaging.co.uk; angliandental.co.uk; dentaldynamix.co.uk; midental.co.uk;
Scan eXam
Scan eXam
Scan eXam
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Buttons
Plate sizes
?
0-3
Connectivity
?
Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
17
Dimensions (whd, cm)
21.5x19.6x38.2
Price inc VAT
?
Scan eXam One
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Buttons
Plate sizes
?
0-3
Connectivity
?
Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
17
Dimensions (whd, cm)
23.3x16.8x32.8
Price inc VAT
?
£4,620
Scan eXam One
Scan eXam One
Dürr Dental
Dürr Dental is a medium-sized dental equipment manufacturer from Germany founded in 1941. They are the main supplier of x-ray plate scanners in the UK, and are aimed at the higher end of the market in terms of price and functionality.
Dürr Dental
Country
Germany
UK Distributors
dentalimaging.co.uk; 360v.co.uk; probomedical.co.uk; dentaledgeuk.co.uk; agdental.co.uk; haguedental.com; bfmulholland.com; ssdgroup.co.uk; dentalsky.com; dental-equipment.co.uk; dbdental.co.uk; woodlanedental.co.uk; sgdentalsupplies.co.uk; mckillopdental.co.uk; dentalengineers.com; avensysmedical.co.uk; bowendentaluk.com; wysdom.co.uk;
VistaScan Ultra View
VistaScan Ultra View
VistaScan Ultra View
Viewscreen
?
Yes
Standalone mode
?
Yes
Multiple plates
?
Yes
Controls
?
Touchscreen
Plate sizes
?
0-4
Connectivity
?
WIFI & Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
40
Dimensions (whd, cm)
25.1x39.1x29.2
Price inc VAT
?
£10,930
VistaScan Mini View
Viewscreen
?
Yes
Standalone mode
?
Yes
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Touchscreen
Plate sizes
?
0-4
Connectivity
?
WIFI & Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
40
Dimensions (whd, cm)
22.6x27.5x24.3
Price inc VAT
?
£8,159
VistaScan Mini View
VistaScan Mini View
VistaScan Mini View 2.0
VistaScan Mini View 2.0
VistaScan Mini View 2.0
Viewscreen
?
Yes
Standalone mode
?
Yes
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Touchscreen
Plate sizes
?
0-4
Connectivity
?
WIFI & Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
40
Dimensions (whd, cm)
21.1x27.3x25.8
Price inc VAT
?
£10,199
VistaScan Mini Easy
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Buttons
Plate sizes
?
0, 2
Connectivity
?
Ethernet & USB
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
40
Dimensions (whd, cm)
23.4x22.6x24.3
Price inc VAT
?
£8,184
VistaScan Mini Easy
VistaScan Mini Easy
VistaScan Mini Easy 2.0
VistaScan Mini Easy 2.0
VistaScan Mini Easy 2.0
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Touchscreen
Plate sizes
?
0, 2 (1, 3, 4 optional)
Connectivity
?
Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
40
Dimensions (whd, cm)
21.1x24.9x25.8
Price inc VAT
?
£6,044
VistaScan Combi View
Viewscreen
?
Yes
Standalone mode
?
Yes
Multiple plates
?
Yes
Controls
?
Touchscreen
Plate sizes
?
0-4
Connectivity
?
WIFI & Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
40
Dimensions (whd, cm)
38x72x38
Price inc VAT
?
£10,192
VistaScan Combi View
VistaScan Combi View
VistaScan Nano Easy
VistaScan Nano Easy
VistaScan Nano Easy
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Buttons
Plate sizes
?
2 (0, 1 optional)
Connectivity
?
Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
17
Dimensions (whd, cm)
16.7x23.1x21.6
Price inc VAT
?
NewTom
NewTom is a medical imaging specialist founded in 1996. It is now a sub-brand of Italian medical conglomerate Cefla. Their fully automatic x-ray plate scanner is the simplest to use in our survey, but we were only able to find one distributor in the UK.
NewTom
Country
Italy
UK Distributors
hsdequipment.co.uk;
X-PSP
X-PSP
X-PSP
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
None - fully automatic
Plate sizes
?
0-3
Connectivity
?
Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
17
Dimensions (whd, cm)
16.3x22.4x29
Price inc VAT
?
Comments
Fully automatic scanning and uploading of plates after inserting them into the device
Planmeca
Planmeca is a large Finnish dental equipment company founded in 1971. Their dental chair units are some of the most widely available in the UK and their x-ray plate scanner is also stocked by many distributors, but pricing is unclear.
Planmeca
Country
Finland
UK Distributors
dentaldynamix.co.uk; dentaledgeuk.co.uk; aihealthcare.uk; currandental.com; wysdom.co.uk; haguedental.com; protechdental.co.uk; deca-dent.co.uk;
ProScanner 2.0
ProScanner 2.0
ProScanner 2.0
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Buttons
Plate sizes
?
0-2
Connectivity
?
Ethernet
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
17
Dimensions (whd, cm)
16.7x23.1x21.6
Price inc VAT
?
Woodpecker
Woodpecker is one of two brands owned by Guilin Woodpecker from China, the other being DTE. Well known for their ultrasonic scalers, Woodpecker’s products are particularly stylish. Their plate scanners are the smallest and cheapest we have found on the market today.
Woodpecker
Country
China
UK Distributors
f2medicalsupplies.com; medimatch.co.uk; vsdent.com; toothsaver.co.uk;
I Scan
I Scan
I Scan
Viewscreen
?
Yes
Standalone mode
?
Yes
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Touchscreen
Plate sizes
?
0-3
Connectivity
?
WIFI & USB
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
17
Dimensions (whd, cm)
13.8x24.6x29
Price inc VAT
?
£2,999
Free Scan
Viewscreen
?
No
Standalone mode
?
No
Multiple plates
?
No
Controls
?
Touch button
Plate sizes
?
0-3
Connectivity
?
WIFI
Resolution (LP/mm)
?
17
Dimensions (whd, cm)
16.5x21x28
Price inc VAT
?
£2,878
Free Scan
Free Scan
Hero
One page summary
Click here to see our dental x-ray plate scanner comparison table:
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