Traditional X-rays VS Digital X-rays

Traditional X-rays are much older, and came around a time when the technology wasn’t quite advanced yet. So what is digital X-rays? To answer that, it’s good to know what traditional X-rays are.

Traditional X-rays utilize radiation to get a microscopic picture of your mouth. One of the problems with traditional X-rays is the amount of exposure to radiation the patient gets. Patients get many X-rays over their lifespan, so the radiation can add up over many years. Additionally, the photo that is produced needs to be processed with the addition of chemicals, opening the door for human error to mess up the pictures.

Digital X-rays are better because they improve on the shortcomings of traditional X-rays. For health reasons, digital X-rays are much safer for the body because they offer up much less radiation. The number of reduced radiation can be up to 80% less.

Digital X-rays offer a much better picture than traditional X-rays do. The pictures appear almost instantly, and unlike physical photos, can be reshaped or resized in order to get a better look at certain parts of the X-ray. Changing the properties of the photo won’t affect its quality in anyway either. This makes it much easier for both the dentist and the patient to both understand the x-ray picture, and find exactly where the decay or cavity is in the tooth. In addition, this saves both the technicians and patients time, which for most people is an even better deal.

The other advantage of digital X-rays over traditional X-rays is the issue of comfort. In traditional X-rays, the dentist usually makes you bite down on papers in very uncomfortable angles. It was not uncommon to have your jaw stretched too far, or for your teeth and mouth to hurt from biting down on the paper in different awkward angles. Digital X-rays don’t require you to bite down on anything, or put general discomfort on any part of your mouth. All that needs to go into your mouth is a small sensor that is attached to a tiny computer wire. What is digital X-rays can really be summed up in that little wire, they’re easy and comfortable. The sensor can easily be moved around your mouth, and doesn’t require the sensor to be in a perfect location for the pictures to come out correctly.

What is Digital X-rays? Easy, effective, and a healthier alternative to the traditional X-rays. Even monetarily digital X-rays have an advantage over the traditional X-rays. Insurance companies are starting to cover and refer patients more for the digital X-rays. Even further in the future, if this continues to happens, then you can expect the prices to fall further. Many dentists still use the traditional X-rays, but the digital version is becoming more widespread. The digital X-rays have many more advantages over the traditional X-rays, so if you have a choice between the two, you should always spring for the digital X-rays if you value your time and comfort.