Here at Geelan Dental Care, our team offers Digital dental radiography to assist with better detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of your oral diseases and conditions. It is an x-ray imaging type that uses digital sensors that have replaced the traditional photographic film. It produces enhanced images of gums, teeth, and oral conditions and structures.
Digital radiographs include direct, indirect, and semi-direct images. Direct digital radiography employs an electronic sensor which is placed in the mouth for image production. The indirect method employs a film scanner for viewing traditional dental x-rays as digital images while the semi-direct technique is a combination of a sensor and scanner used for converting dental x-rays into a digital film.
request an appointmentTHE PROCESS OF DIGITAL X-RAYING
Any type of x-ray must be taken with care considering the potentially harmful radiation associated with the process. Our team uses state of the art digital radiography equipment. The x-ray is done with you sitting in a chair in an upright position. Our dental specialists place an apron over your chest that is made of lead, while your neck area is protected by wrapping a thyroid collar around it. The specialist places the x-ray sensor on your mouth and takes the picture. The process is not painful at all with our team making sure that you do not feel uncomfortable or awkward while taking the image.
We take either intraoral or extraoral digital dental radiographs. Extraoral radiographs are taken outside while intraoral x-rays are taken inside the mouth. Our team will mostly perform intraoral radiographs to obtain images that provide great detail used to check the state of teeth development, detect cavities, and monitor the health of bones and teeth. We use extraoral digital x-rays for detecting impacted teeth, identifying potential problems between temporomandibular joints (TMJ), jaws and teeth, and monitoring the growth and development of jaws.
WHY WE RECOMMEND DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY
Digital dental radiographs have several benefits. Through this radiography, our team can access hidden areas of decay that exist between your teeth and those located under existing restorations, as well as other problems such as bone infections, abscesses or cysts, gum disease, tumors, and developmental abnormalities.
Through digital radiography, we can instantly view details of your dental condition on any computer screen, manipulate them to enhance detail and contrast and transmit them to our specialists electronically without losing quality. This way, we can detect and treat your dental problems at an early stage, which saves you money, discomfort, and time. The process also eliminates the need for using chemical processing, as well as disposal of hazardous wastes, thereby providing a greener technological alternative. Digital radiography uses 50%-80% less radiation than traditional x-ray films, which reduces exposure of your body to radiation. We can also store digital dental images easily they electronic patient records, which are easy to access and transmit to insurance companies, and other entities to reduce treatment disruptions.
If you still have questions about digital radiography, contact us here at Geelan Dental Care at (503) 223-1322 for more information about dental exams!