On any significant purchase, an inspection is the cheapest insurance available. Here is what one actually involves.
Buyers routinely skip inspection on used equipment to save a few hundred dollars, then spend multiples of that fixing something that would have been found. On anything above a modest price, this is the highest-return money in the transaction.
A dental equipment technician, ideally one familiar with the specific manufacturer. Some service companies offer pre-purchase inspections as a standard service. If you are buying at a distance, you can often hire a technician local to the equipment rather than traveling yourself.
Importantly, this should be someone you hire, not someone the seller recommends. The seller's technician has a relationship to protect.
Imaging typically needs someone qualified for that specific equipment, and the inspection should cover image quality on recent samples, calibration status, sensor function, and software compatibility with your systems. Regulatory registration status should be confirmed as part of this.
An inspection has three possible outcomes, and all three are useful:
Where possible, agree that the purchase is contingent on satisfactory inspection before any money changes hands. A seller who refuses to allow an inspection has told you something important, and it is worth treating that refusal as the answer rather than a negotiating point.
Our pre-purchase checklist covers what you can assess yourself before deciding whether to bring in a technician.