GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS Identifiable Definite-Lived Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 698,691	$ 738,351
Accumulated Amortization	(260,822)	(260,088)
Net Carrying Amount	437,869us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet	478,263us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
Identifiable Intangible Assets Gross	874,279xray_IdentifiableIntangibleAssetsGross	930,928xray_IdentifiableIntangibleAssetsGross
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	613,457	670,840
Trademarks
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)	175,588	192,577
Patents
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	170,790	175,186
Accumulated Amortization	(94,380)	(95,526)
Net Carrying Amount	76,410	79,660
Trademarks
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	72,396	75,645
Accumulated Amortization	(38,854)	(37,053)
Net Carrying Amount	33,542	38,592
Licensing Agreements
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	33,699	34,638
Accumulated Amortization	(23,002)	(22,806)
Net Carrying Amount	10,697	11,832
Customer Relationships
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	421,806	452,882
Accumulated Amortization	(104,586)	(104,703)
Net Carrying Amount	$ 317,220	$ 348,179

Accumulated amount of amortization of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16323-109275

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Amount before amortization of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life.

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Amount after amortization of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life.

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Amount of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance and having a projected indefinite period of benefit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

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Sum of the carrying amounts of all intangible assets, excluding goodwill, as of the balance sheet date, net of accumulated amortization and impairment charges.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388964&loc=d3e16212-109274

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Identifiable Intangible Assets Gross

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