Digital X-Rays – Portland, OR
Safer, More Accurate Diagnoses
Here at Advanced Dental Arts NW, we use digital X-rays for their ease of use and their crisp images. The Oregon Board of Dentistry requires all dental offices to have current radiographs prior to treatment as it is considered the “standard of care.” You simply cannot do as complete and comprehensive an examination without these, nor can you confirm the proper seating of most restorations without a radiograph. All that having been said, patients are right to be concerned about the cumulative effects of radiation, and we routinely discuss this with them. Perhaps a word or two below will help address these questions:
Why Choose Advanced Dental Arts NW for Digital X-Rays?
- Reduced Exposure to Radiation by 90%
- Eco-Friendly without Any Harsh Chemicals
- Better Visibility for Diagnosis
How Digital X-rays Work
First of all, Dr. Teasdale, your SW Portland dentist, and our team use “universal precautions” to assure that we expose the patient to the least amount of radiation necessary. We always use lead aprons, with thyroid protection, to completely block any “scatter radiation” from entering the body. Our X-ray units have extremely restricted beams that expose only the areas we need to scan.
With the advent of digital radiography, (or digital X-rays) we have been able to cut even these minimal exposure times by 90% or more. The image is picked up on a sensor plate rather than on film and is entered directly into the computer. The computer then enables us to magnify, increase or decrease contrast, or otherwise alter the image to enable us to pick out details that may otherwise be hidden.
Benefits of Digital X-rays
The digital process completely eliminates the need for films, their packaging, and the chemicals necessary to process those films, so it is a big benefit to the ecosystem.
As one of the leading dentists in SW Portland, Dr. Teasdale was one of the early adopters in the use of digital X-rays back in the mid-1990s. Today, even full “wrap-around” and whole head X-rays are digital. They allow us to see details that may otherwise have remained hidden, and hence we can treat patients to a far higher standard than ever before. The computer images also give us the ability to better explain procedures to our patients so that understanding increases across the board.
Keeping You Safe
Although the best amount of X-rays is zero, with digital radiography, we are better able to reduce the amount of radiation exposure to a negligible amount. In fact, with digital X-rays, the total radiation someone is exposed to is far less than what they would receive on a sunny summer day.
And, it has been calculated that the total amount of radiation one receives on a two-hour plane flight is greater than a lifetime’s worth of dental digital X-rays.