Bitewing Holder and Support Product Design Using Quality Function Deployment

Conventional dental radiographic examination using bitewing is widely known to cause nausea and unclear radiographic images, due to pressure on the mouth wall and patient movement, respectively. This discomfort often leads to patient non-compliance, making it challenging to obtain accurate diagnostic results. These issues were observed in 10 dental clinics on Jalan Jamin Ginting. To address the problems, a product improvement design was implemented using Quality Functions Development (QFD). In Phase I, QFD produced technical specifications such as adding buffer foam and replacing iron material used in bitewing support with aluminium, while Phase II identified priority critical parts such as shortening the dimensions of the bitewing holder with a support. The product redesign includes the addition of buffer foam for enhanced comfort for patient, the substitution of iron with aluminium to reduce weight of the product, as well as the adjustment of bitewing holder and support dimensions to 3.5 cm and 19.5 cm, respectively.