A dental imaging apparatus comprising: at least one dental image acquisition device (12, 14, 16) that is configured to acquire an image of patient dentition; and a host processor that is in signal communication with a display and is energizable to generate a graphical user interface on the display, the graphical user interface comprising a darkroom mode GUI configured to display one selected diagnostic image of one or more diagnostic images of a selected patient, the darkroom mode GUI comprising: a display area configured to display the selected diagnostic image among the one or more diagnostic images of the selected patient, a first user control configured to exit the darkroom mode GUI upon selection, a second user control configured to alternate the selected displayed diagnostic image in the display area of the darkroom mode GUI among the one or more diagnostic images of the selected patient, and a third user control configured to prompt an operator of one of the at least one dental image acquisition device to manually energize dental image acquisition by the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device, where the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device is in signal communication with the darkroom mode GUI, and where the third user control is selectable only when the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device is capable of immediate dental image acquisition of the selected patient. at least one dental image acquisition device (12, 14, 16) that is configured to acquire an image of patient dentition; and a host processor that is in signal communication with a display and is energizable to generate a graphical user interface on the display, the graphical user interface comprising a darkroom mode GUI configured to display one selected diagnostic image of one or more diagnostic images of a selected patient, the darkroom mode GUI comprising: a display area configured to display the selected diagnostic image among the one or more diagnostic images of the selected patient, a first user control configured to exit the darkroom mode GUI upon selection, a second user control configured to alternate the selected displayed diagnostic image in the display area of the darkroom mode GUI among the one or more diagnostic images of the selected patient, and a third user control configured to prompt an operator of one of the at least one dental image acquisition device to manually energize dental image acquisition by the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device, where the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device is in signal communication with the darkroom mode GUI, and where the third user control is selectable only when the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device is capable of immediate dental image acquisition of the selected patient. a display area configured to display the selected diagnostic image among the one or more diagnostic images of the selected patient, a first user control configured to exit the darkroom mode GUI upon selection, a second user control configured to alternate the selected displayed diagnostic image in the display area of the darkroom mode GUI among the one or more diagnostic images of the selected patient, and a third user control configured to prompt an operator of one of the at least one dental image acquisition device to manually energize dental image acquisition by the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device, where the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device is in signal communication with the darkroom mode GUI, and where the third user control is selectable only when the one of the at least one dental image acquisition device is capable of immediate dental image acquisition of the selected patient.