"Ask Pixi-Ray"

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Below you will find answers to many common questions about our company and our line of products.

For any other questions that you might have, feel free to type your question here and I will have an associate contact you as soon as possible.

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Questions - Click any one to quickly locate an answer below:

  1. How do I sterilize my RINN autoclavable products?
  2. Where do I find the sensor holders that fit my digital sensor?
  3. I am missing the apical edge in my periapical images, what should I do differently?
  4. I am missing the incisal edge in my radiographs, what should I do differently?
  5. Why shouldn’t I use a regular apron when imaging panographs?
  6. What material are your Soothe-Guard Air™ lead free aprons made from?
  7. How do I dispose of my lead aprons?
  8. Will the XCP-ORA One Ring and Arm Positioning system work with other brands of biteblocks?
  9. Do I need to use an apron when using a digital sensor to capture x-rays?
  10. My patients complain that my radiographs hurt.  What can I do to improve their comfort?
  11. Why do my rings warp?
  12. What holders are recommended for endo application?
  13. Can I use my existing RINN bite-blocks with the new XCP-ORA?
  14. Sometimes it seems like my size 2 digital sensor won’t fit in some patients’ mouths, especially vertically. 
    What can I do?
  15. I am having trouble duplicating radiographs, do you have any tips?
  16. Why is my new Wig-L-Bug® capsule mixer making a loud noise and not mixing properly?
  17. My office just went digital using a phosphor plate system. What holders do I use with phosphor plates?
  18. I want to digitize my existing dental x-ray films so I have a digital backup. I have tried a flatbed scanner but the images were poor quality and took too long to capture. What scanner and mount series can you recommend?


Answers:

  1. Q.  How do I sterilize my RINN autoclavable products?
    A.  Steam autoclave at 270° F for 10 minutes following the guidelines listed here: http://www.rinncorp.com/sterilization-instructions.html
  2. Q.  Where do I find the sensor holders that fit my digital sensor?
    A.  Please check our online Tame your Sensor Guide for the most recent listings?
    http://www.rinncorp.com/pdf/MK90G_TameYrSensr1009_web.pdf
  3. Q.  I am missing the apical edge in my periapical images, what should I do differently?
    A.  Raise the tube head slightly so that it is slightly above ring (for maxillary) and angle it down 5 to 10 degrees to more easily capture the apice.  Make sure you are instructing patients to bite lightly so they are not flexing the film or sensor holder.
  4. Q.  I am missing the incisal edge in my radiographs, what should I do differently?
    A.  One method is to insert a cotton roll between the teeth being imaged and the biteblock.   With digital sensors, you may have to adjust depending upon the active area of the sensor.
  5. Q.  Why shouldn’t I use a regular apron when imaging panographs?
    A.  Because a panograph machine emits x-rays in 360°, patient protection is needed from the front, sides, and back; an apron designed for panographs should be used.  Please see http://www.rinncorp.com/pdf/MK102B_Soothe-Guard_Aprons.pdf for more details.  Also, no collar should be used as it can interfere with the anatomy being imaged. 
  6. Q.  What material are your Soothe-Guard Air™ lead free aprons made from?
    A.  They are made from a proprietary metal alloy.  Because they do not contain lead, there are no disposal restrictions and they are approximately 30% lighter than lead aprons.  However, because they are still ‘metal’ based, care should be taken not to fold as folding will lead to material cracking.
  7. Q.  How do I dispose of my lead aprons?
    A.  It is illegal to dispose of lead aprons in a landfill.  They are considered hazardous waste and must be disposed of according to your local regulations.  If you have a RINN brand apron with the RINN label still attached, you can return them to RINN for proper disposal.  Please call 800-323-0970 for shipping instructions.
  8. Q. Will the XCP-ORA One Ring and Arm Positioning system work with other brands of biteblocks?
    A.  The XCP-ORA is designed to work with RINN XCP or XCP biteblocks only.  Because other brands of biteblocks may have different spacing or pin-hole diameters, using any other brand of biteblock may result in broken pins.  The pin receiver slots on XCP and XCP-DS® biteblocks are designed for easy pin removal and insertion.
  9. Q.  Do I need to use an apron when using a digital sensor to capture x-rays?
    A.  Yes, following the ALARA principle the energy output is still sufficient enough to warrant use of an apron.
  10. Q.  My patients complain that my radiographs hurt.  What can I do to improve their comfort?
    A.  When using paralleling technique, be sure to place the film or sensor in the center of the mouth where this is more room for it.  A cotton roll under the bite-block may also help with shallow palates.  Lastly, try RINN”s new Cover-Cozee line of products that are designed specifically to help improve comfort. 
    Click here for More Information
  11. Q.  Why do my rings warp?
    A.  We recommend that you replace your rings every 12 months so if they are older than a year, it may be time to invest in new ones.  The use of cold sterilants or any chemicals can also break down the plastic much quicker than just soap and hot water prior to steam autoclaving.  If plastic pieces are touching the sides of the autoclave or are too close to the heating element, they can become too hot and start to change shape.  See http://www.rinncorp.com/sterilization-instructions.html for full instructions.
  12. Q. What holders are recommended for endo application?
    A.  We have several option available, depending on whether your office is film or sensor-based.  XCP and XCP-DS® systems (RINN kits) are available for most media and the Endo-Ray II is a popular choice for analog endo images.  See our Product Catalog for more detail.
  13. Q. Can I use my existing RINN bite-blocks with the new XCP-ORA?
    A. Yes!  The RINN XCP and XCP-DS® bite-blocks that you currently have will work perfectly.  Just plug them into the ORA arm and you’re off!
  14. Q.  Sometimes it seems like my size 2 digital sensor won’t fit in some patients’ mouths, especially vertically.  What can I do?
    A.  One option is begin using the size 1 sensor for more anterior images to make it more comfortable for them and easier to place for you.  Also, cotton rolls can be used under the bite-block whenever the patient has trouble closing all the way.  Again, this should help you get the image you need and help the patient be more comfortable during the process. 
  15. Q.  I am having trouble duplicating radiographs, do you have any tips?
    A.  Please visit http://www.rinncorp.com/Tech-Info-Film-Duplicating.aspx for a whole section on this subject.
     
  16. Q.  Why is my new Wig-L-Bug® capsule mixer making a loud noise and not mixing properly?
    A.  The Wig-L-Bug® capsule mixer ships with retaining screws in the bottom that must be removed prior to use. They stabilize the internal components during shipping and should be saved in case future transport is needed. Learn more at this link (link to DFU).
     
  17. Q.  My office just went digital using a phosphor plate system. What holders do I use with phosphor plates?
    A. Most phosphor plates are standardized in size similar to film so the regular Rinn film holder biteblocks will work. However, one exception is the Digora Optime by Soredex. It uses a magnet to assist in processing and is a little thicker than typical film. This does not present a problem with anterior and posterior biteblocks, but the regular film bitewing holders may be too tight. However, Rinn has special double slotted bitewing holders for this phosphor plate system and thicker x-ray film packets such as the Kodak SureSoft. The part numbers for the special bitewing parts are 540629 (Horizontal #2) and 540630 (Vertical #2) (http://www.rinncorp.com/catalog_filmhold_kodakss.aspx). Additionally, Rinn has new positioning systems that were designed with the special needs of phosphor plate users in mind. The Rinn Flip-Ray® BW for bitewings and Flip-Ray® PA (http://www.rinncorp.com/Pdf/MK287_FlipRayPA_2.pdf) for periapicals are all plastic paralleling instruments that work well with film or phosphor plates. The Rinn Snap-A-Ray XTRA (http://www.rinncorp.com/Pdf/Snap-A-Ray_Xtra.pdf) is a revised version of a standard Snap-A-Ray with soft overmolded grips designed to prevent scratching of expensive phosphor plate media.
     
  18. Q.  I want to digitize my existing dental x-ray films so I have a digital backup. I have tried a flatbed scanner but the images were poor quality and took too long to capture. What scanner and mount series can you recommend?
    A. The Dental Film Digitizer from Vidar Systems Corporation can scan your films in the all plastic Rinn 20, 21, 22 or 23 series pocket mounts very easily. It is optimized for scanning translucent grayscale images. This link has more information on the Vidar system. It is important that only plastic mounts are used when scanning to avoid paper dust related problems.