Digital Dentistry
Introduction
When we recommend a patient to take an X-ray, it’s because there are health benefits that can’t be provided without it. Left unattended, these dental health issues could cause bigger health problems that far outweigh potential exposure to the relatively low amount of radiation from the digital X-ray technology. They have very low doses of radiation, producing just a fraction of what you are exposed to in other imaging procedures. Dental X-rays are important diagnostic tool.
Benefits of Dental X-ray
- Reveals small areas of decay between the teeth or below existing fillings
- Infections in the bone (eg: abscess, cyst)
- Impacted tooth
- Periodontal disease (surrounding structures of the teeth – eg: bone loss)
- Developmental abnormalities
- Abnormal growth
- Some type of tumours
Types of Dental X-rays Available in T Care dental clinics
- Intra Oral Periapical X-ray(IOPA)
- Bite Wing X-ray
- Orthopanthamogram (OPG)
- Lateral Cephalometric Radiograph
Is Dental X-rays safe?
Dental X-ray images are a dentist’s most valuable diagnostic tool that is considered extremely safe. When dental x-rays are performed with adequate safety precautions like usage of digital radiography with low radiation dose, by using a film holder, by covering the patient from the neck to the knees with a lead-lined full-body apron, and with regular inspections and licensing to check the X-ray machines on accuracy and safety of the machine, there will be very little cause for concern.
A routine examination with four bitewing x-rays (a type of dental x-ray) exposes you to roughly the same amount of radiation you will experience during one to two hours on an airplane or about the same amount of radiation from our TVs and over the course of spending a day in the sun (solar radiation).
Don’t let an unfounded fear of dental radiation stop you from getting the best preventive and diagnostic dental care available. However, the decision on taking dental x-rays on any individual is based on the needs and requirement.