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Digital X-Rays Q&A
Why do dentists take X-rays?
X-rays give your dentist a view of your entire tooth, from the exposed crown at the top to the end of the root embedded in your jawbone and everything in between. Your dentist uses X-rays to identify dental issues below the gum line or in the jaw, such as:
- The extent of your tooth decay
- Impacted teeth
- Abscesses, cysts, and tumors
- Bone changes that may be linked to certain diseases
What is it like to have digital dental X-rays?
The patient experience of obtaining digital X-rays is fairly similar to traditional dental X-rays, but much faster. Your dentist or other dental care professional inserts a sensor into your mouth that resembles the bitewings used during conventional X-rays.
However, the “bitewing” is actually an electronic sensor that’s connected to a computer. When the X-ray is taken, the image is immediately projected onto a screen for your dentist’s viewing. You may need to wait while your dentist studies the image but you won’t experience the delay that often accompanies film development.
Are there other benefits to digital dental X-rays?
Yes, there are several advantages to digital radiography compared to traditional film X-rays. Even though traditional X-rays expose you to very low doses of radiation, the less radiation you experience in your environment the better. Digital X-rays use 90 percent less radiation than traditional dental X-rays.
Digital dental X-rays also provide higher quality images that your dentist can enlarge for a better view of your teeth and their supporting structures. He can also easily alter the contrast, brightness, or color on a digital X-ray to enhance details he’s interested in studying. This also helps him spot small cavities that might not be apparent in a traditional film. And if you want a copy, he can print your digital X-ray in seconds.
Digital technology also makes it easy to transfer your X-rays to a specialist or a new dentist’s office should you move from the area. With your permission, your dentist can simply email the images to the office of your choice. They also take up less space than traditional films and that makes storage easier for your dentist and gives him more time to focus on you.
