Dr. Ushma Patel – Center for Advanced Dentistry. Call 770-623-8750

I have to say, the medical industry and media have done a terrific job on educating the general public about the hazards of radiation through X-ray machines.

Medical establishments from hospitals to dental and medical offices have specially-built rooms to contain (and heavy-leaded aprons to deflect) the radiation each X-ray emits. Technicians are trained on how to avoid over-exposure and the industry at large has inadvertently built an innate “fear” of X-ray in many patients through these precautions and pointed education. I can’t tell you how many times patients ask me if I can simply treat them based upon their decade-old X-rays or skip their children’s X-rays altogether instead of taking a fresh look at what’s going on today. The majority of these requests come from a fear of radiation exposure.

I have some great news that I am happy to share with these patients and with you. Many cutting-edge medical and dental establishments (including ours) have implemented a new technology called “Digital” X-rays.

There are some tremendous advantages to Digital X-rays including:

Digital X-rays are Deemed Safer                                                                                                                                       Digital X-rays present about 90% less radiation than conventional X-ray machines through the use of digital sensors instead of photographic film.

Shorter Wait Times                                                                                                                                                          There are no chemicals to process or films to develop. This is both better for our environment and also translates to quicker imaging results and less office time for patients.

Easy Image Transfer and Storage                                                                                                                                       Since the images are digital, they can be transfered, filed, and stored quickly and efficiently. They are also easier to link directly with patient records.

A Better Picture                                                                                                                                                                Digital imagery cannot be under or over exposed the way traditional X-ray film can, and digital resolution is visually superior to older X-ray imaging. Dentists can zoom in or clarify portions of the image, allowing us to see details ordinary X-rays may not have presented.

Digital Technology Streamlines Office Efficiency                                                                                                                 Using Digital X-ray technology decreases your dentist’s lab processing times and the amount of time office staff has to spend managing and storing films. This translates to a smoother, quicker visit for patients.

We’re trying to spread the word about Digital X-ray and overcome the old information and fear associated with older X-ray systems. Since the media doesn’t gravitate toward or heavily profile “good news,” this might be a slow process broached one office visit at a time!

What about you? Did you know about this new technology? Given the new advantages of Digital X-ray, will you seek it out the next time you need to have an X-ray taken? I’d love to hear your perspective about this new technology.