Flash Dent: an alternative charge-coupled device/scintillator-based direct digital intraoral radiographic system.

The Flash Dent digital intraoral radiographic system is yet to be described in the scientific literature. A Windows operating environment, a lens based optical scintillator charge-coupled device (CCD) and 'IMG' image format are the major features which distinguish this from other available systems. In this paper we describe the component of the Flash Dent system, investigate the validity of the X-ray generator specifications, determine comparative image doses and assess the performance of the intraoral sensor. Although we found Flash Dent software facilitates image processing, X-ray generator operation, sensor performance and dimensional measurements, inconsistencies between sensors and the use of a non-standard image format require further consideration for improvements on the part of the manufacturer.