Digital Dental X-rays
Dental Radiographs – Benefis and Safety
Dental radiographs (often called x-rays) are an important part of your dental care.
Benefits of Dental Radiographs – Do I really need X-rays??
A dental radiograph gives the doctors at Mint Dental – Family Dentistry of Emerson,NJ a picture of your hard tissues (teeth and bones) and the soft tissues that surround your teeth and jawbones. X-rays are used to identify diseases and developmental problems before they become serious health issues. It allows the doctors to see:
- Tooth decay (cavities) – that develop between the teeth or under existing fillings and restorations.
- Diseases in the bone
- Periodontal (gum) disease
- Infections that develop under the gums
- Some type of tumors
- Developing teeth and jawbones in kids
Safety of Dental Radiographs – Am I getting too much radiation??
Dental x-rays are an important diagnostic tool that has been commonly misunderstood. Several factors and practices work together to make dental radiography safe.
Some important Facts:
- The amount of radiation used to obtain dental radiographs is very small.
- For Example: Bitewing radiographs – two to four images of the back teeth – expose a patient to about 0.005 millisieverts (mSv) radiation. By Comparison, because radiation is part of our environment, people in the United States are exposed, on average, to 3.2 mSv every year from background sources of radiation.
The doctors at Mint Dental – Family Dentistry of Emerson, NJ follow the ALARA principle, which stands for “As Low As Reasonably Achievable,” when obtaining radiographs.
This radiation safety principle limits your exposure by incorporating the following techniques:
Some important Facts:
- Use of the fastest image receptor (that is, the fastest film speed or digital speed)
- Reduction in size of the x-ray beam to the size of the image receptor whenever possible
- Use of proper exposure and processing techniques
- Use of leaded aprons
