Are Digital X-Rays Better Than Traditional X-Rays? 

X-rays are a diagnostic tool for both medical and dental professionals. Dentists and orthodontists are increasingly tapping into advanced dental technology, such as digital dental X-rays that serve their patients better.

But how do traditional dental X-rays and digital dental X-rays compare? In this blog, Ginger Rome, DDS, at The Dentists at North Cypress in Houston, Texas, shares her thoughts on why digital dental X-rays have become the standard of care.

Dental X-rays are an important diagnostic tool

Let’s jump-start this conversation with an overview of why X-rays play an important role in preventative dental care. Think back to a recent dental checkup. Did your dental provider check your chart and let you know it was time to take X-rays, and you’re thinking, “Didn’t we just do that?”

Dentists and orthodontists use X-rays to inform a treatment plan for conditions like gum disease or getting braces, unlike medical X-rays that a physician orders in response to an injury or symptoms of a medical condition. But that’s not all.

Dental X-rays are a beneficial way for your dental provider to do a deep dive into your oral health so that they can hedge off or treat dental issues before they become big dental problems. Specifically, dental X-rays provide more comprehensive data not detected through an oral exam, such as cavities under fillings, bone loss from gum disease, and tooth abscesses.

The frequency of getting dental X-rays differs from patient to patient, depending on existing dental conditions. For most patients with healthy gums and teeth, dental providers recommend getting dental X-rays every year or so.  

Traditional X-rays versus digital X-rays

Film-based dental X-rays were the mainstay in the modern dental office until the late 1980s when French dentist Dr. Francis Mouyen patented the first commercial digital radiography system, or RVG.

The main categories of digital X-rays are differentiated by whether they are taken inside or outside the oral cavity. Intraoral X-rays are taken inside the mouth and are the most common digital X-rays. With an intraoral X-ray, your dental provider can garner great detail on emerging teeth, detect cavities, and track bone and teeth health.

In contrast, extraoral X-rays are taken outside the mouth to gain big-picture oral health information and less about individual teeth issues. Your dental provider may use extraoral X-rays to track jaw development and growth, glean data on facial bones or temporomandibular joints, or detect tumors or impacted teeth.

Relies on sensors instead of film

As with traditional X-rays,  digital X-rays begin with your dental technician placing a lead apron over your chest to protect you from excess radiation. But that’s where the similarities end.

With a digital dental X-ray, the dental technician uses an electronic sensor instead of film and taps into electromagnetic radiation to capture images of your oral cavity. The technician sends these images directly to a computer in real time. Remarkably, in contrast to traditional dental X-ray machines, digital dental X-rays use about 80% to 90% less radiation.

Plus, if there are any issues regarding the clarity of an X-ray, your technician can retake the X-ray quickly since they don’t have to process the film.  

Real-time diagnostic tool

One of the benefits of digital dental X-rays is that they provide immediate images capturing more detail and angles than traditional dental X-rays; hence, your dental provider has a superior diagnostic tool. Armed with immediate additional data and enhanced clarity, your dental provider can deliver a quicker diagnosis and begin treatment to restore oral health.

Captures higher-quality images

In contrast to traditional dental X-rays, your dental provider can easily zoom in or out and edit digital X-rays to sharpen or adjust contrast and brightness. With the help of these high-quality images, your dental provider monitors and tracks developing conditions in a more streamlined way and enhances the accuracy of each diagnosis.

Easily stored and transferred 

Digital technology also provides many benefits for storing and transferring files. With digital X-rays, your provider can easily save X-rays in electronic patient records and say goodbye to snail mail or priority shipping to insurance companies, dental laboratories, or other dental professionals.

To learn more about digital X-rays, contact The Dentists at North Cypress. You can schedule an appointment online or call us today.