Andrew Owyoung, DDS: Advanced Technology
Digital X-Rays
Some people worry about their exposure to radiation during dental X-ray procedures. This is very understandable in light of the relatively high radiation of some medical X-rays.
Dentists are very concerned about minimizing the amount of radiation a patient receives at the dental office. That’s why we use special high-speed film, and cover patients with a lead apron during X-ray procedures. You will be happy to know that 18 dental X-rays deliver 56,000 times less radiation to an unborn child than an upper GI series, 800 times less radiation than a chest X-ray, and 40 times less radiation than a typical day of background radiation. Dental X-rays are both safe and effective, and can be used during pregnancy.
One new dental technology involving dental X-rays is digital X-rays. They offer the advantage of an 80 percent reduction in radiation, no need for film or processing chemicals, production of a nearly instantaneously image, and the ability to use color contrast in the image. The main disadvantage is the cost. Digital X-ray units presently cost 3-5 times more than conventional units, and the quality of the image is not any better than film. The speed in which a dentist gets to see the image is about three seconds, but with fast developing chemicals, a conventional X-ray can be developed in about 15 seconds. The digital unit does reduce exposure to radiation, but the amount of radiation is so low that the benefit is very slight.
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