Archive for the ‘Digital X-rays’ Category
Digitize Me
Friday, July 10th, 2009
Digital x-rays have gone from a novelty to a luxury to a necessity now. The old systems were actually inferior to photographic film mainly because of the lack of definition. The pixel density was very low and the sensors were crude. The computer software was also pretty deficient.
However today, factors such as increased speed and memory, more advanced hardware and user-friendly operating systems have made digital systems almost a must. It’s only recently that the picture quality has approached that of film, but now that it has, the other features make digital imaging practically indispensable.
Basically, they are the same advantages that have revolutionized photography. You can manipulate the images: enlarge or enhance them. They’re easier to store, print and transport electronically by e-mail. One feature that’s interesting about dental imaging is that the program can actually analyze the picture and tell you where the cavities are. There are additional advantages of the software that can even show you what you might look like after your work is completed!
One of the greatest advantages of digital x-rays over photographic film however, is one that may not have ever been intended. It uses only about one fourth the radiation that the film needs, which wasn’t much to begin with. In the past, we would address patient’s fears about the radiation used for dental films by explaining how insignificant an amount it was. It used to take about two thousand dental x-rays to equal one chest x-ray. Well now it’s eight thousand. It’s so slight, the FDA doesn’t even require the use of a lead apron on the patient when taking digital dental x-rays, however we still use it just to be extra safe.
Dr. Moulton’s article was published in the Desert Valley Times, January 2007
Tags: Digital X-rays, radiation
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