What You Need to Know About Digital & Conventional Dental X-rays

Dental x-rays are a great diagnostic tool that gives your dentist detailed insight into your oral health. X-rays provide a comprehensive look at your teeth and gums, allowing your dentist to make informed decisions about your treatment. Dentists have been using radiography for diagnostic purposes for decades. As technology continues to advance, dental treatments and diagnostic tools also evolve, becoming faster and more accurate. Greater Lakes Dental strives to stay on the cutting-edge of technology in order to provide patients with the best treatment possible, and provides digital radiography to patients. But what is the difference between conventional dental x-rays and digital dental x-rays?

Conventional Dental X-rays

Many dental offices are outfitted with conventional dental x-rays. Once an industry standard, conventional x-rays used to provide dentists with pictures on film of the interior structures of the teeth and gums, until Digital X-rays were created. Conventional dental x-rays do not provide as accurate of intra-oral pictures as the newest Digital X-rays do. Not only does it take some time to develop the film, which results in longer dental appointments, the images are rather small. Also, the dental hygienist needs to wait for the film to develop to see if the picture turned out; if it does not turn out, then the x-rays need to be taken again.

Digital Dental X-rays

Greater Lakes Dental utilizes Kodak digital radiography, Cone Beam and Panoramic Scanner to provide our patients with the clearest picture of the state of their oral health. Digital dental x-rays expose patients to much less radiation compared to conventional x-rays. Digital x-rays are displayed on a large computer screen almost instantly, and contrast and brightness can be enhanced on screen, meaning you spend less time getting x-rayed. With our cavity detection program, we are also able to check the density of a radiograph, giving us a very accurate assessment if there is tooth decay. Digital radiology also makes the digital archiving of your dental records simple. The x-rays are added to your patient file as easily as they are transmitted on to a screen for viewing.

Regular dental check-ups help provide you not only peace of mind about your oral health, but also improve the quality of your smile. Regular x-rays, cleanings, and visits to your dentist improve the quality of your teeth and gums. Make sure that you visit your dentist for your recommended check-ups, and stay on the forefront of treatment techniques with Greater Lakes Dental.