Oral x-rays are needed to exam new patients and to keep a clear record the patient’s oral condition. Your dentist may take another set of x-rays every 6-18 months to monitor your oral condition. X-rays help dentists find hidden dental decay, impacted tooth, bone loss, cysts, abscesses and more.

Digital x-rays have several advantages of traditional x-rays. Some advantages include:

• Less Radiation: Digital x-rays provide an 80% reduction in radiation
• More Comfortable: Biting the paper tab used in taking traditional x-rays can be uncomfortable and push up against your mouth in awkward ways. Digital x-rays work differently by putting a small sensor in your mouth connected by a thin wire to a computer. X-rays are sent out to the sensor through your teeth to capture the image. The sensor can be moved to take other images.
• Quick Developing: Typically they are ready in as short of a time as 3 seconds.
• Magnified Images: Digital x-rays are easily displayed at larger sizes. Dentists are even able to magnify the image to show you close up any tooth decay or abnormalities.
• Eco Friendly: Digital x-rays are electronic so they save us from needing to use chemicals or film. They also make processing insurance claims faster.

X-rays are an important part of your dental visit, because they help us diagnose problems unseen on the surface. Digital x-rays are just one way dentistry is improving to make patient visits a lot more comfortable.