Your Dentist must be able to recognise diseased areas in the jaw, in the gums or in the teeth at an early stage and must treat them in time, so that pain has no chance to develop. This is where x-rays can help.

ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS

Your Dentist may request a panoramic xray (known as OPG) to view the entire upper and lower jaw including adjacent regions such as the maxillary sinuses and the temporomandibular joints. With more information to see, your Dentist can make better informed decisions when planning the best course of therapy. A lateral image (Ceph) may be taken of the side of your head and face. Measurements are made from this image to determine the distance and relationship between major structures. These results form the basis for your treatment planning.

CLEANER ENVIRONMENT

Until recently the radiographer had to use film which needed to be developed in a dark room with messy chemicals. This process and its waste products were not environmentally friendly. Today Digital Radiography can use a refined printing process which helps to protect you and the environment.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Just like a digital camera, the image is produced using a chip to measure the signal. This information is transmitted electronically to the computer and converted into an image. In nearly no time, the image is displayed on the monitor screen without having to be developed by chemicals. The image can be printed on glossy photo paper or given to your Dentist electronically, on a floppy disc or CD.

BETTER VISUALISATION

For technically minded people, you may ask to see your image on the monitor. Here you can see an electronic magnifying glass enlarge the image for greater detail. Contrast and brightness can be adjusted to take advantage of the dynamic range in the image data. A colour rendition can even be made. In this way one single exposure can offer better visualisation of the information.

REDUCED RADIATION