About Digital X-rays
Dental x-rays are an important component of a comprehensive examination. When we clinically exam your mouth, we can easily check your teeth and gums for concerns, like tooth decay or damage, gum inflammation, and loose restorations. X-rays, however, enable our dentists and team to see what lies beneath the gums. Certain oral problems can only be fully evaluated through dental x-rays, including cavities in between the teeth and under restorations, bone loss, cysts or endodontic abscesses, and impacted teeth. To provide the highest quality care for your family's oral health, our dentists recommend digital x-rays each year or when certain oral problems call for radiographic evaluation.
Dedicated to providing the highest level of safe and minimally invasive care, we use low-radiation digital x-rays at our modern family dental practice. Digital x-rays produce 90 percent less radiation than traditional films and are a healthier diagnostic alternative that shows oral structures in much greater detail. By using advanced digital systems, our dentists can ensure greater accuracy in diagnosis and offer the best possible treatment options for your family's smiles. For more information on the benefits of our digital x-ray system, contact our Sugar Land, TX practice and talk to our friendly team today.
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What Are the Benefits of Digital X-Rays?
Digital X-rays offer several key benefits in dental care, including:
- Reduced Radiation Exposure: Digital X-rays emit a significantly lower level of radiation compared to traditional X-ray methods, enhancing patient safety.
- Immediate Results: Images are available instantly, allowing for quicker diagnosis and treatment planning during the same appointment.
- Enhanced Image Quality: Higher resolution images provide clearer views of the teeth and gums, aiding in the accurate detection of dental issues.
- Efficient Storage and Access: Digital images can be easily stored electronically, facilitating quick retrieval and comparison over time, and simplifying the process of sharing information with other dental professionals if necessary.
- Environmental Friendliness: Digital X-rays eliminate the need for chemical processing and physical storage space required for traditional film X-rays, making them a more environmentally sustainable option.
Who Is a Good Candidate For Digital X-rays?
With digital x-rays, our team can gain a detailed view of your tooth roots, bones, and other jaw structures that are hidden by your gums. Digital dental radiograph imaging is safe for patients of all ages and is an important component of a comprehensive dental exam or to assess specific concerns or problems when pain, injury, or other oral concerns affect your smile. We do, however, only take dental x-rays on a preventive or restorative basis and when necessary to help diagnose and improve your oral health. Even though only a small amount of radiation is used, we still take precautions to minimize exposure and protect your general health. Please let a member of our team know if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant before having any x-rays taken at our practice. Dental x-rays can help our team provide a comprehensive evaluation by showing:
- Decay between teeth or under fillings
- Broken or problematic restorations
- Impacted or malpositioned teeth
- Unerupted teeth and developmental patterns
- Cysts, tumors, or abscesses
- Bone loss in the jaw
- Infected teeth
- Other abnormalities
How Do We Perform Digital X-rays?
In most cases, we will take your x-rays at the beginning of your appointment so that we may use and refer to your images as we provide your care. Digital x-rays are faster, safer, and more convenient than their traditional film counterparts and generally take less than ten minutes to complete. To take your x-rays, we will place a small sensor next to your teeth in different areas of your mouth. Once exposed, the image transmits immediately to our computer and is stored within your digital patient record. Our dentists will read your x-rays and show you any areas that may be of concern.
What Happens After Digital X-rays?
Our team may take different types of x-rays, depending on when your last set was taken and whether you need x-rays for preventive or restorative reasons. During your first visit at Made Ya Smile Dental in Sugar Land, TX, we will take either a full set or a panoramic x-ray to evaluate your entire jaw, teeth, roots, and bone. We will usually only need to repeat a full series or panoramic every 3 – 5 years. Four bitewing x-rays are taken each year in between a comprehensive full series or panoramic, and allow our dentists to monitor for cavity formation and bone level changes of the back teeth. By taking x-rays preventively, we can often identify problems early on and conservatively treat them before they require more complex or expensive care.
Does My Dental Insurance Cover a Digital X-rays?
Most dental insurance plans offer coverage for dental x-rays. A full mouth series or panoramic x-ray is typically covered by insurance plans on a 3 – 5-year basis and bitewing x-rays are typically allowed each year. A member of our financial team will contact your plan provider and review your specific coverage information. At Made Ya Smile Dental, we want your family to have the best possible for long-term oral health. If you do not have dental insurance or your plan does not cover your x-rays, we can discuss our flexible financing options and convenient payment methods to help make your treatment easier to afford.
Digital X-Rays FAQ
Is it safe to undergo digital dental x-rays?
Digital dental x-rays are considered a safe option for dental imaging. Our digital radiography equipment emits significantly less radiation compared to traditional medical x-ray machines, enhancing patient safety. If concerns about radiation exposure arise or if you have questions about our x-ray technology, please reach out. Our team is ready to address your concerns and provide assistance.
How do digital dental x-rays compare to traditional ones?
Digital x-rays stand out for their ability to deliver instant results during your assessment, enabling us to identify and address any issues promptly within the same visit. Furthermore, digital x-rays offer superior image quality compared to traditional x-rays, allowing for a clearer view of your dental health and facilitating more accurate diagnoses.
What makes handheld digital x-rays crucial?
Handheld digital x-rays play a pivotal role in dental care by providing a comprehensive overview of your oral health, which is essential for delivering optimal treatment. We recommend undergoing dental x-rays annually in Sugar Land, TX, to ensure your oral health is thoroughly monitored and maintained, allowing us to offer the highest standard of care.
Protect Your Oral Health
Having x-rays taken is now safer, faster, and more convenient than ever. Digital x-rays are preventive and diagnostic tools that our dentists use to provide a comprehensive evaluation of your oral health. By using advanced digital x-ray systems, we can more accurately identify oral concerns and plan effective treatment options that deliver optimal solutions for your family's smiles. To schedule your visit for digital x-rays and an exam with our caring team, get in touch with Made Ya Smile Dental in Sugar Land, TX today.