How to send DICOM files securely
DICOM is the format every imaging system speaks and almost no email server tolerates. You do not need a PACS or an FTP account to move a study — you need somewhere the whole folder can go at once.
Step by step
Export the study as DICOM
Most systems export a folder of .dcm files, sometimes with a DICOMDIR index. Keep the folder intact — the slices are meaningless separated from each other.
Zip the whole folder
One file, structure preserved. This is the step people skip, and it is why studies arrive unopenable.
Upload and name the recipient
Drag the zip in, enter their email, set a PIN.
Send the PIN another way
Text or call it. Keeping the key off the same channel as the link is the point.
Sending a CBCT specifically? Start here →
Common questions
Can I email DICOM files?
Rarely successfully. A single study routinely exceeds attachment limits, many mail servers strip or quarantine .dcm and .zip attachments, and consumer email is not covered by a BAA. A link with a separate PIN avoids all three problems.
Do I need a PACS to share DICOM with another office?
No. A PACS is for storing and querying imaging inside an organisation. Sending one study to one specialist is a transfer problem, not a storage problem — you just need the file to arrive intact and privately.
Will the receiving office be able to open it?
Any dental or medical imaging software reads DICOM, which is why it is worth sending rather than a proprietary viewer bundle. Zip the folder so the slices and index stay together.
Is there a file-size limit?
Up to 10 GB per file, and multiple files per transfer — enough for a full CBCT volume or a multi-series study.