Digital Radiography (x-rays) are a vital tool in dental diagnosis. With x-rays, your dentist can find signs of decay before they are visible to the naked eye and before they cause any symptoms. X-rays also help your dentist find irregularities in the jawbones or with teeth that have not yet emerged.
How Digital X-Rays Work
Traditional x-rays use a low dose of x-ray light to transmit pictures to film that is sensitive to this type of light. The film must then be developed in order for the dentist to evaluate the pictures. This can take several minutes.
Rather than using film, digital x-rays use a special sensor that responds to exposure to x-rays. This sensor transmits the resulting images directly to a computer in digital format. The pictures are available for evaluation immediately—there is no need for delay while x-rays are developed on film.
Advantages of Digital X-Rays
Digital x-rays offer numerous advantages over traditional film x-rays. These include:
- No film or other waste, decreasing environmental impact
- Lower radiation exposure
- Faster development of pictures
- Easier evaluation
- Easier storage and transfer
Because digital x-rays can be stored easily on the computer, they can also be easily and quickly compared to each other. With special software, your dentist can compare a series of x-rays that have been taken over a period of time. These detailed digital comparisons make it easy to see any changes that might have occurred, including very small changes that might not be immediately obvious on a single x-ray.
To find out how digital x-rays can help improve diagnostics and ensure your long term dental health, please contact ourLittletonoffice at our office. With digital x-rays, we can closely monitor your teeth and ensure that decay and other problems are treated promptly.