X-ray technology is vital to the dental profession. It gives dentists the ability to detect a cavity in between two teeth, an abscess that may be festering under the gumline or any other issues hiding beneath the surface that can’t be seen during a routine exam. Radiology is also used to monitor the development of teeth that have not yet erupted.
A full set of dental x-rays will consist of from 14- 21 images covering various angles to include all of the patient’s teeth. It is usually ordered for those patients new to the practice and serve as a reference point for future diagnosis.
Though tradition x-rays have been determined to be such a useful diagnostic tool in the field of dentistry some patients still worry about the potential hazard associated with radiation. Actually, the time of exposure is minimal and every precaution to lessen any risk is taken. With the introduction of digital oral x-ray, safety becomes even less of an issue.
Besides lowering the level of patient anxiety over having a dental x-ray digital technology has made the process more comfortable and has raised the quality of the imagery significantly. Traditional x-ray films involve chemical compounds and take some time to be developed. Digital images can be immediately transferred to a computer screen to be viewed by patient and dentist at the same time.
