X-Rays: From Film to Digital

Dental x-rays have shifted from film to digital, offering several benefits. Digital x-rays provide instant results, with images available in seconds, and use 70-80% less radiation than film x-rays, making them safer. They are easier to examine, allowing for zooming and adjusting to identify issues more clearly. Digital x-rays are also easier to store and access, reducing the risk of losing records and enabling comparisons over time. Additionally, they’re more environmentally friendly, as they don’t require chemicals or film. While digital x-rays are more convenient, film x-rays are still effective and in use at many dental offices.

What Are Panoramic X-Rays?

Panoramic x-rays, also known as panoramic radiography, are a specific type of x-ray that is done entirely outside of the mouth. While many patient x-rays are designed to help identify cavities and other conditions in the mouth, sometimes it’s necessary to take a larger image of the entire mouth at once with a panoramic x-ray. This is used to spot problems such as bone abnormalities, issues with tooth positioning, or oral cancer.

In addition to offering your dentist a full picture of your mouth at once, panoramic x-rays come with a host of benefits. For one, the machines for these types of x-rays are much less invasive. They do not require the patient to bite down on anything, nor do they require multiple x-rays, allowing them to be completed quickly. Panoramic x-rays are also good for children for the same reason, as all they’re required to do is remain still for just a few seconds. Radiation dosage can be lower as well, since these types of x-rays are done once instead of needing multiple angles.