Digital X-Rays in Olympia, WA
The digital X-rays (radiographs) we use are a modern version of the first X-ray technology that dates back to 1896. While physicians began widespread use of X-rays after that, they weren’t widely used in dentistry until the 1950s. Today, however, X-rays are the best they’ve ever been! Modern digital X-rays are safer and they provide clearer, more detailed images than in any previous generation.
DID YOU KNOW?
Digital X-rays expose patients to 80-90% less radiation than traditional radiographs and they’re better for the environment, as well.
Why We Rely on X-rays for Diagnoses
A manual examination of a child’s mouth lets us see the crowns of teeth, but we cannot diagnose the areas where teeth touch one another or the roots of teeth. Radiographs reveal cavities and cracks in teeth, as well as issues with occlusion, roots, and development. Before dentists used X-ray technology, diagnostics for problems not visible to the naked eye relied on the dentist’s educated guess, based on symptoms.
Fast forward to the 21st Century, and our dentists can see the tiniest of details on digital X-rays. Now, diagnoses are based on facts, instead of symptoms. This results in more accuracy and success in dental treatments.
Dental X-rays are essential for creating effective treatment plans and maintaining your child’s oral health. They are extremely safe, exposing your child to minimal radiation—less than they naturally encounter from the environment each day. For example, a standard bitewing X-ray uses less radiation than a day’s worth of natural background exposure, and a panoramic X-ray is less than three days’ worth. To put it in perspective, the radiation from these X-rays is about 1.6% of the daily natural radiation your child receives, similar to the amount from just being in the sunlight.
How We Capture Digital X-rays
When kids are mature enough to sit through a dental cleaning, they are old enough for X-rays. Usually, this is around age five years. Here are the steps you and your child can expect when we take extraoral digital radiographs, meaning those taken from inside the mouth.
- We situate a digital sensor in the mouth.
- A high-resolution digital image is produced on a chairside monitor.
- The process is repeated for various types of intraoral X-rays: bitewing, periapical, and occlusal.
- Bitewing refers to the top and bottom teeth in one area of the mouth.
- Periapical refers to an entire tooth, crown and root.
- Occlusal refers to the entire top or bottom arch.
We may also capture a panoramic X-ray, which is taken outside of the mouth which works by the x ray head circling the outside of the mouth while your teeth and jaw are supported in the center of the machine. The images they capture show the teeth embedded in the soft tissue and we can monitor the growth and development of emerging teeth as well as the soft tissue for any lesions.
Digital X-rays Are Safer and More Precise
While traditional X-rays expose patients to a safe level of radiation, digital radiographs cut down that exposure by 80-90%! This means that they’re safer than ever. Digital X-rays take less time to capture, and digital records are quicker to access than paper records.
Technology also lets us track changes in a child’s mouth over time, which is extremely helpful to assess the success of a procedure or to track the progress of a concern, like tooth development or bone density issues.
As a bonus, digital X-rays are better for the environment because they require no film or harsh chemicals.
Schedule Your Child’s Dental Exam Today!
We love to have fun with our patients and their families, but diagnostics and safety are topics we take seriously. In our office, your child’s safety is and will always be a top priority. Our dentists have invested in training and technology to maximize safety, as well as diagnostic accuracy. Contact us today to schedule your child’s dental exam in Olympia.
