Digital dental x rays have become an almost essential part of good dentistry. Until the decay of a tooth has reached critical stage, it is rarely visible to the human eye. As a result, these digital dental x-ray machines save a lot of time as well as pain when used regularly to identify the onset of decay. Some cases of tooth decay may even be completely invisible to an examining dentist or hygienist, making these machines even more important. The digital dental x rays have a number of advantages over the older and more common types of dental x rays as there is no time wasted in developing the film.
More over, with the advancement of technology and the progress of insurance companies to an extent where they are willing to receive electronic claims means that you can upload your dental x ray along with your insurance claim – thereby reducing the already excessive turn around time for you to receive your funds. One of the most important medical benefits of digital dental x rays is the fact that they expose the body to about 90% less radiation than the older types of x-rays. The fact that you can capture a higher number of x-rays in a relatively small amount of time is not a bonus that is missed out on by dentists.
The two main types of dental x-rays include Intraoral x-rays and Extraoral x-rays. The intraoral type provides a lot of detail about the cavity and also checks on the health of the root as well as the bone surrounding the tooth. The extraoral rype focuses primarily on the jaw and skull and are not used to detect cavities or identify problems with individual teeth. Both these main categories of digital dental x-rays contain a number of subgroups depending largely on the target of the procedure.
There is no special preparation required when going in for a digital dental x-ray. However, you should make sure that you clean your mouth and teeth properly as any stray food particles stuck in your teeth will show up in your x-rays, possibly causing a significant amount of alarm.
Since it a relatively new practice, a number of people wonder how to take digital x-rays. The most common digital dental x-ray machine is a wall mounted contraption that uses the operating techniques of all basic dental x-ray machines. The machine is comprised of a tube head, cylinder, ready light, extension arm and a separate control panel.