X-Rays are an important part of your overall dental care. They help your dentist to discover tooth decay that may not be visible to the naked eye, as well as more serious dental concerns like an abcessed tooth or gum disease. X-Rays also make it possible for your dentist to follow up on previously treated conditions like implants, crowns, fillings and root canals.
Because of their importance, X-Rays are usually given to patients an average of once a year. However, many patients are uneasy about their use due to concerns over radiation exposure. New dental technology which uses digital X-Rays can reduce radiation exosure by 80 percent. Along with fear of radiation being a thing of the past, digital X-Rays offer many advantages to dentists over traditional X-Ray technology.
Digital X-Rays really simplify the process of getting a picture of the patient’s teeth. There is no need for chemicals or film to develop as the image appears almost immediately. One distinct advantage is the ability to see color contrast in the digital version that was not previously available. This makes it easier to spot abnormalities in the patient’s teeth and gums. Digital X-Rays also allow for the ability to adjust contrast and enlarge the image.
The use of digital X-Rays is environmentally friendly as well. A patient’s records can now be e-mailed to another specialist if needed. This in turn cuts down on the amount of time staff needs to copy files and mail them. As this technology catches on, more and more dentist offices will be able to elimate the need for a paper file as all patient records will be kept on electronic files.