What are Digital Dental X-rays?

To understand how digital dental imaging works, let’s first examine traditional X-rays to note the differences. X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, and unlike visible light, the radiation can pass through our soft tissue; bones reflect more of the radiation, making them visible to our Jacksonville, NC dentists, Dr. Ed Covert and Dr. Andrew Ambrose.

While traditional X-rays use film to capture the image, digital radiography uses a sensor connected to a computer by a thin wire. One of the most appealing advantages of this advanced diagnostic imaging is that it produces significantly less radiation, making it safer by exposing the body to only 10% of the radiation from conventional methods.

You may remember the awkward, even uncomfortable, feeling of holding your head, mouth, and neck in certain positions while traditional X-rays are taken. You’ll be amazed at how fast we can digitally scan your mouth and head using this cutting-edge dental technology.

Benefits of Digital Dental X-rays

We have already mentioned that digital scanning is much safer for you and the environment because there’s nothing to discard. There are many other benefits to using state-of-the-art digital scanners during your dental exam:

Fast processing time: With traditional X-rays, it took quite some time to get the images ready because you had to wait for the film to develop in a darkroom before the images were available for viewing. Now, images are produced and ready for viewing instantly, which makes dental appointments shorter. You can get a diagnosis while you wait for the dentist to inspect your images. We value your time and understand how busy life can be, so we do everything we can to shorten your time with us so you can return to your day.

High-quality images: Clarity of dental images is crucial for accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. Digital X-rays provide much higher image quality than traditional methods, allowing us to focus on the minutest irregularities that may not have been visible otherwise. Images can be zoomed, and contrast adjusted for a better view. Our dentists can see over 200 shades of gray in your images, compared to the 16-25 shades offered by older techniques. Simply put, your dentist can see much more with digital imaging.

Allows us to provide unrivaled dental care: Patient safety is our priority, and with digital imaging, our patients don’t have to worry about exposure to radiation. With the accuracy of digital imaging, there is only a minimal chance we’ll have to retake an X-ray.

It provides much easier file sharing and image storage. You may remember the bulky manila envelopes that X-rays had to be placed in so you could take them to another office or hospital. Those days are gone with digital dental X-rays because we can simply send your scans to you and whoever may need them by attaching them to emails and other means of sharing information, all HIPAA-compliant.

Types of Digital X-rays

Our digital dental imaging allows us to take the following types of dental X-rays, providing our dentists with a clear view of different parts of your mouth for different reasons. For instance, you will usually have bitewing X-rays once a year, and we will take a panoramic view if we need to see wisdom teeth or a full view of the entire mouth and sinuses.

  • Bitewing
  • Periapical
  • Occlusal
  • Panoramic
  • Bitewing
  • Periapical
  • Occlusal
  • Panoramic

Contact Us Today

If you’re looking for a dental practice with advanced technology and Jacksonville dentists who provide unparalleled care to patients of all ages, please contact us by calling (910) 353-5171. You may also fill out our online contact form, and one of our dental team members will reach out soon to schedule you and answer any questions you may have regarding dental X-rays or treatments.