Digital X-rays in Norwood
Also Offering Dental Services for the Greater Norwood area including Westwood, Walpole, Canton, and Dedham MA
Pediatric and Family Dentistry of Norwood is committed to the early and accurate diagnosis of problems affecting you and your family’s oral health. We use digital radiography, or digital X-rays, to gather important information about your mouth that we cannot see during a visual exam. This information then guides us in creating an effective treatment plan. Without digital X-rays, problems such as decay, cysts or bone loss could go undetected and put your oral health in jeopardy.
What Are Digital X-rays?
Digital X-rays use an electronic sensor instead of X-ray film to capture images of the areas inside and between your teeth and below your gumline. Our doctors and our team are very thorough in our evaluation of your mouth, but there are areas we cannot see with the naked eye: namely, the contact areas in between your teeth, your tooth roots and parts of existing dental restorations.
Digital X-rays provide a clear view into these areas so we can identify any abnormalities and put a plan in place to address them. Early detection and intervention save you from invasive or time-consuming treatment.
Digital Dental X-rays Compared to Traditional X-rays
There are various benefits to digital X-rays over traditional X-rays. Importantly, they reduce exposure to radiation by up to 90 percent compared to traditional X-rays. Digital X-rays produce high-quality images that can be enlarged and magnified as needed to get a better look at areas that require close inspection. The images can be easily stored, retrieved and transmitted in digitized form to other dentists for further reference. Digital X-rays are also regarded as more environmentally friendly than traditional X-rays because they do not require the use of toxic chemicals.
The Process of Getting Digital X-rays
The process of getting digital X-rays is quick and comfortable. Although digital X-rays emit very low levels of radiation, we will place a protective lead apron over your torso to limit your exposure. As you relax in the dental chair, we will carefully insert an electronic sensor into your mouth, which will capture images of your teeth and jaw. This information is sent to a computer, and the X-ray images will be projected onto a screen in the treatment room almost immediately.
How Often Will I Need Digital X-rays?
We usually recommend getting a set of X-rays at your first visit with our team, so we have a baseline of your oral health. This helps us to analyze changes that occur in your mouth over time.
After your baseline set of X-rays, the frequency at which you should get subsequent X-rays depends on your unique oral health. If you have a history or personal risk factors for dental disease, we may recommend you get X-rays taken more frequently. If you sustain a dental injury or experience tooth pain or other symptoms, we will probably recommend X-rays to investigate the problem.
Contact Pediatric and Family Dentistry of Norwood
If you have any questions about the process of getting digital X-rays, we invite you to schedule an appointment at our practice. Please call or email us today.
