Someone sent you X-rays or a CBCT scan taken with Sidexis, and you do not have Sidexis. That is normal: Sidexis 4 is Dentsply Sirona’s licensed imaging program for its own X-ray units, and most referring dentists, labs and patients never install it. Each of its export routes has a free way to open the result.
The short answer: if you received a disc, run the free Sidexis 4 Viewer that is already on it (Windows only). If you are on a Mac, or the files are just a folder of DICOM images, open them in a free general DICOM viewer such as Sante DICOM Viewer Lite. If you received a link from DS Core, open it in a web browser. Otherwise, ask the practice for a specific export using the names below.
What you received and what opens it
| What you have | How it was made in Sidexis 4 | What opens it | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| DVD or folder with “Start Sidexis 4 Viewer.exe” | DICOM Export Wrap&Go | Sidexis 4 Viewer from the disc (free, read-only) | Windows |
| Folder of DICOM files, often with a DICOMDIR | DICOM exam export or “Volume for third party manufacturer (DICOM)” | Any DICOM viewer, dental planning software | Windows, macOS, Linux (depends on viewer) |
| JPEG, PNG, BMP or TIFF images | 2D export or e-mail export | Any image viewer | Any |
| Link to a shared case | DS Core cloud upload and sharing | Web browser | Any |
| Copied PDATA folder or database files | Not an export | Only Sidexis itself; ask for a proper export | Windows |
A disc with the Sidexis 4 Viewer
When a practice uses “DICOM Export Wrap&Go” in the Output work phase, Sidexis 4 exports the open examinations of the patient in a DICOM-compatible format and burns the Sidexis 4 Viewer onto the same DVD. Dentsply Sirona’s viewer instructions describe the receiving side:
- Insert the disc in a Windows PC and open it in File Explorer.
- Run
Start Sidexis 4 Viewer.exe. If Microsoft .NET Framework is missing, the disc offers to install it; accept and continue. - In the installation menu, check the “System requirements” link, read and accept the licence conditions, optionally change the installation folder, and click “Install”.
- The viewer imports the cases automatically (this can take several minutes) and opens them in the Lightbox.
If the viewer or Sidexis 4 is already installed, the same file offers “Import”; with full Sidexis 4 the data opens there.
You examine images, volumes and findings as in Sidexis 4, but the viewer cannot export media, connect to X-ray units, delete data, or link to practice management software (SLIDA), GALILEOS Implant or a clinical PACS. It cannot turn the disc into files for another program. The last installation guide for the viewer is dated June 2018, and there is no separate public download of it; it travels on patient discs. See the Sidexis 4 page for the full program, licence and current version.
On a Mac or Linux
Neither Sidexis 4 nor its viewer runs on macOS or Linux. Options:
- Read the DICOM files directly. Wrap&Go writes the images in a DICOM-compatible format, so a general DICOM viewer can often read the disc. On macOS, Sante DICOM Viewer Lite is free and runs natively on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. If the folder does not open cleanly, ask for a DICOM exam export instead.
- Use a Windows PC or a Windows virtual machine, then run the disc as described above.
- Ask for a DS Core link if the practice uses DS Core, and open it in the browser.
For research use on Linux, Mango reads DICOM on Windows, macOS and Linux and is free for non-commercial research.
Asking the practice for the right export
Most failed hand-overs are a wrong export, not a wrong viewer. In Sidexis 4 every export lives in the “Output” work phase and is enabled per workstation under “Export options” in the system menu. Names from the version 4.3 operator’s manual:
- 2D export saves the selected 2D views as JPEG, BMP, PNG or TIFF (8 bit). Images keep the current brightness, contrast and filters: fine for a report, not for measurement.
- E-mail attaches 2D views to a message (Outlook-compatible clients only).
- DICOM Export Wrap&Go creates the self-contained disc with the viewer.
- DICOM exam export writes all open media items of a work area (2D views, volumes and face scan surfaces) to a folder, including findings. Settings include main volumes, detail volumes, raw data, 16-to-8-bit conversion and baking brightness and contrast into pixel values. External volumes cannot be exported.
- Volume for third party manufacturer (DICOM) is the option intended for planning and segmentation software from other vendors.
- Facescan (OBJ) export saves face scan surfaces as OBJ.
2D and e-mail exports have an “Anonymize” check box: off if you must match images to your patient record, on for teaching. For a CBCT you will measure or plan on, ask for a DICOM exam export with the main volume and without baked-in brightness and contrast.
Opening a DICOM export in a free viewer
- Copy the whole folder, not single files; a CBCT volume is a series of many slices.
- In Sante DICOM Viewer Lite, use File > Open DICOM CD/DVD for a disc, or open the folder.
- Switch to MPR to scroll axial, coronal and sagittal slices, and adjust window and level.
- Use the distance and angle tools for quick checks. Measurements rely on the pixel spacing stored in the DICOM files.
A general viewer has no panoramic curve along the arch, nerve tracing or implant library. For those, import the third-party volume into dental CBCT software such as OnDemand3D (shareware, conditionally free) or your own X-ray unit’s 3D software. The free dental DICOM viewers hub compares the free options side by side.
Importing into another imaging suite
A DICOM export is the cleanest bridge between vendors: Carestream’s CS Imaging 8, for example, imports JPEG, DICOM and STL. In the other direction, Sidexis 4 imports DICOMDIR and DICOM (2D and volumes) plus TIFF, PNG, JPEG, JPEG 2000 and BMP; patient data in DICOM or TIFF files is taken over on import and can be reassigned.
Shared through DS Core
DS Core, Dentsply Sirona’s cloud platform, uploads 2D and 3D X-rays from Sidexis 4 automatically. Per the Sidexis 4 product page, recipients of a shared case view it in an embedded browser X-ray viewer and can add observations without a paid account. Older images can be uploaded patient by patient from Sidexis 4.3.1, or all at once from 4.4. For files you can import, still ask for a DICOM export.
Older Sidexis XG data
Sidexis XG preceded Sidexis 4, and the Sidexis 4 manual refers to images migrated from XG, so old archives normally move by migration with the dealer. A practice still on XG can export a third-party DICOM volume; menus differ, so ask for the result (a DICOM folder with the full volume), not a menu path.
Limitations
- A copied PDATA folder is not a portable format; the Sidexis data store also relies on an SQL Server instance. Only an export is meant for other programs.
- 2D exports with filters, brightness and contrast applied are not suitable for precise measurement; use DICOM for that.
- General DICOM viewers are not dental planning software, and Santesoft does not state FDA or CE clearance for its viewers. Check local rules before using one for primary diagnosis.
- Anonymised exports cannot be matched to your patient automatically; agree on the setting before the export.
FAQ
Is there a Sidexis viewer for Mac?
No. Sidexis 4 and the Sidexis 4 Viewer are Windows programs. On a Mac, open the DICOM files in a Mac viewer such as Sante DICOM Viewer Lite, use Windows, or ask for a DS Core link.
Where can I get the Sidexis 4 Viewer download?
Dentsply Sirona does not publish it as a separate download. It is burned onto every disc made with “DICOM Export Wrap&Go”. The public Sidexis download page offers only the full Sidexis 4.4 installer, which needs a licence.
Can I view Sidexis X-rays online?
Yes, if the practice shares them through DS Core. The recipient opens the shared case in a browser with the embedded X-ray viewer and does not need a paid account.
How do I export DICOM from Sidexis 4?
Open the examination, go to the “Output” work phase and choose “DICOM exam export” (or “Volume for third party manufacturer (DICOM)” for planning software). Pick the folder and include the main volume in “Settings”.
How do I export X-rays from Sidexis 4 as JPEG?
Use “2D export” in the “Output” work phase. Select the views, move them to “Selected for export”, set the target folder in “Options” and click “Next”. JPEG, BMP, PNG or TIFF is chosen in the output profile.
Can the Sidexis viewer open a CBCT scan?
Yes. The viewer shows the images and findings on the disc, volumes included, the same way as Sidexis 4, with export, device and editing functions removed.
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · SoftProDents editorial team. Licence, version and platform details are checked against each developer's official documentation; none of the tools listed here should be treated as a certified medical device unless its vendor says so.
