Our Technology

Digital X-Rays

Digital radiography (digital x-ray) is the latest technology used to take dental x-rays. This technique uses an electronic sensor (instead of x-ray film) that captures and stores the digital image on a computer. This image can be instantly viewed and enlarged, helping the dentist and dental hygienist detect problems more easily. Digital x-rays reduce radiation by 80-90% compared to the already low exposure of traditional dental x-rays.

Dental x-rays are essential, preventative, diagnostic tools that provide valuable information not visible during a regular dental exam. Dentists and dental hygienists use this information to safely and accurately detect hidden dental abnormalities and complete an accurate treatment plan. Without x-rays, problem areas can go undetected.

Dental x-rays may reveal:

• Abscesses or cysts.
• Bone loss.
• Cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.
• Decay between the teeth.
• Developmental abnormalities.
• Poor tooth and root positions.
• Problems inside a tooth or below the gum line.

Detecting and treating dental problems at an early stage can save you time, money, unnecessary discomfort, and your teeth!

Are dental x-rays safe?

We are all exposed to natural radiation in our environment. Digital x-rays produce a significantly lower level of radiation compared to traditional dental x-rays. Not only are digital x-rays better for the health and safety of the patient, they are faster and more comfortable to take, which reduces your time in the dental office. Also, since the digital image is captured electronically, there is no need to develop the x-rays, thus eliminating the disposal of harmful waste and chemicals into the environment.

Even though digital x-rays produce a low level of radiation and are considered very safe, dentists still take necessary precautions to limit the patient’s exposure to radiation. These precautions include only taking those x-rays that are necessary, and using lead apron shields to protect the body.

How often should dental x-rays be taken?

The need for dental x-rays depends on each patient’s individual dental health needs. Your dentist and dental hygienist will recommend necessary x-rays based upon the review of your medical and dental history, a dental exam, signs and symptoms, your age, and risk of disease.

A full mouth series of dental x-rays is recommended for new patients. A full series is usually good for three to five years. Bite-wing x-rays (x-rays of top and bottom teeth biting together) are taken at recall (check-up) visits and are recommended once or twice a year to detect new dental problems.

Panoramic X-Rays

Panoramic x-rays (also known as Panorex® or orthopantomograms) are wraparound photographs of the face and teeth. They offer a view that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. X-rays in general, expose hidden structures, such as wisdom teeth, reveal preliminary signs of cavities, and also show fractures and bone loss.

Panoramic x-rays are extraoral and simple to perform. Usually, dental x-rays involve the film being placed inside the mouth, but panoramic film is hidden inside a mechanism that rotates around the outside of the head.

Unlike bitewing x-rays that need to be taken every few years, panoramic x-rays are generally only taken on an as-needed basis. A panoramic x-ray is not conducted to give a detailed view of each tooth, but rather to provide a better view of the sinus areas, nasal areas and mandibular nerve. Panoramic x-rays are preferable to bitewing x-rays when a patient is in extreme pain, and when a sinus problem is suspected to have caused dental problems.

Panoramic x-rays are extremely versatile in dentistry, and are used to:

• Assess patients with an extreme gag reflex.
• Evaluate the progression of TMJ.
• Expose cysts and abnormalities.
• Expose impacted teeth.
• Expose jawbone fractures.
• Plan treatment (full and partial dentures, braces, and implants).
• Reveal gum disease and cavities.

How are panoramic x-rays taken? 

The panoramic x-ray provides the dentist with an ear-to-ear two-dimensional view of both the upper and lower jaw. The most common uses for panoramic x-rays are to reveal the positioning of wisdom teeth and to check whether dental implants will affect the mandibular nerve (the nerve extending toward the lower lip).

The Panorex equipment consists of a rotating arm that holds the x-ray generator and a moving film attachment that holds the pictures. The head is positioned between these two devices. The x-ray generator moves around the head taking pictures as orthogonally as possible. The positioning of the head and body is what determines how sharp, clear, and useful the x-rays will be to the dentist. The pictures are magnified by as much as 30% to ensure that even the minutest detail will be noted.

Panoramic x-rays are an important diagnostic tool and are also valuable for planning future treatment. They are safer than other types of x-rays because less radiation enters the body.

If you have questions or concerns about panoramic x-rays, please contact our practice.

I-CAT 3D Imaging

Physicians have relied on computerized axial tomography scans (CAT) for many years. CAT scans are an x-ray procedure that uses many different x-ray images with the help of computers to generate cross-sectional or even 3D views of internal organs and structures within the body. A knee replacement surgery, for example, would never be performed without first examining 3D imaging.

More recently, however, dentists have begun to rely on 3D imaging techniques and i-CAT scans to provide them with a detailed view of the mouth and skull. The advantage that 3D imaging holds over regular dental x-rays is that bone structure, bone density, tissues, and nerves can be viewed clearly.

i-CAT scans can be completed in less than half a minute. This means that far less radiation enters the body than if a regular set of bitewing x-rays were taken. The main use for i-CAT scans is as an aid to plan dental implant treatment and other oral surgery.

Dental implants are the most sophisticated replacement for missing teeth but have historically proven to be time-consuming to place. i-CAT scans vastly reduce the time it takes to place implants. It is thought that in the near future implants will be placed in a single visit because of this unique type of imaging.

How are I-CAT® scans used?

i-CAT scans are advantageous because they allow the dentist to magnify specific areas of the face. In addition, the dentist can easily view cross-sectional “slices” of the jaw, which makes planning treatment easier and faster.

Here are some of the main ways in which i-CAT scans are used in dentistry: