There are certain tools that help ensure the health of your teeth. Some tools you can regularly use at home. Other tools, like digital dental radiographs, need to be used in a dentist’s office. When a dentist views your teeth with a digital dental radiograph during most, if not all, of your check-ups can ensure the lasting health and well-being of your smile.

What Do Digital Dental Radiographs Do?

dentist shows patient digital dental radiographsDigital dental radiographs take x-ray images of teeth.

Unlike traditional x-ray machines, digital radiographs don’t use film. When your radiographer takes the images of your teeth, they capture the pictures digitally and save them onto a computer. Because they don’t use film, digital radiographs have less radiation. That makes the digital radiography much safer than the film counterpart.

There are three main ways dentists use digital radiographs to get images of your teeth. Those methods are the direct, the indirect, and the semi-direct ways.

The direct way involves putting a sensor in the patient’s mouth to take pictures. The indirect option involves taking pictures outside the mouth with a scanner. This can take images of part of the mouth, or the whole mouth, which the dentist then save onto the computer like a panoramic. The semi-indirect route mixes inner-mouth sensors and outside the mouth scanners.

Why Are Digital Dental Radiographs Necessary?

Tooth health goes beyond surface level appearance. While the outside of the tooth and gums may look healthy, problems can be brewing underneath. More than half of each tooth is under the gums and covered up by your facial bones.

Digital radiographs let dentists see the whole tooth without a problem. Because they can see each and every tooth completely, dentists are able to see if your teeth are truly healthy. This can help him or her identify any underlying oral conditions that you have, including tooth pain or disease. Some conditions that dentists can see with a digital radiograph include bone infections, gum disease, cysts, abnormalities, and some tumors.

Dentists can also enhance and manipulate these images immediately. This allows him or her to see small problems, such as decay in hidden parts of the teeth, very easily. It also lets your dentist address any minor to serious problems you have the same day you go for a check-up or an emergency visit.

Because of the clarity and flexibility of digital radiograph images, dentists are able to go through treatment options with you the same day you see them. By taking out the waiting period, treatment can start as soon as possible.

If you experience major oral problems, your dentist may use multiple digital radiography methods in order to formulate the best treatment options.

A Dental Practice That Uses The Best Digital Dental Radiographs Around

Digital radiographs are great tools when offices keep them up-to-date and use them properly. When you’re looking for a dental practice to go to, you need a comfortable team that’s familiar with radiography trends and focus.

At Keith Mahan, DDS, we take time to understand all of the equipment we use to help our patients. That includes our digital radiographs, which we keep updated to ensure the clarity of each image, every time. Along with our other tools and our many services, you and your family can get the dental procedures you need to ensure your smiles stay beautiful and functional.

Making sure your whole mouth is healthy is important for your lasting well-being. Don’t delay. Call Keith Mahan, DDS today at 407-841-7241 and schedule an appointment with a dental practice that has the tools to keep your smile truly healthy.