Digital dental radiography is certainly a technology that has been around now for more than many years. It has improved considerably in that time, and more and more dental practices are implementing the technology every single day. Truth be told however, that almost all dental practices still use ordinary radiography. Some dentists question the necessity of transitioning to digital radiography, and some simply cannot afford the initial cost of changing over.
While old fashioned radiography is a proven way of acquiring dental x-rays, digital dental radiography offers many advantages over traditional radiography. The subsequent article is all about my personal feedback with digital dental radiography over a 3 year span. My knowledge, feedback, and findings derive from hands-on experience with digital sensors, panoramic, and cephalometric radiography.
The benefits of digital radiography are far superior compared to the conventional methods of obtaining radiographs. One key difference would be the capability to have instant observation of the radiographic images. The images appear on the computers screen in seconds after taking them. As soon as the image is on screen, you have the abilities to zoom in or out, lighten or darken the images, make annotations to the images, take on-screen dimensions, as well as a whole slew of other image enhancements. Some digital dental radiography software will even allow you to grade the bone density of the patient.
An excellent benefit of switching to digital radiography will be the ability to store patient radiographs in a computer database instead of physical charts. This allows a very organized way of image retrieval and storage, and gives you an opportunity to release space in your dental practice. The database also reduces the chances of misplacing or misplacing a patients entire records. The volume of data which can be stored in a digital database also enables a practice get rid of paper waste as well. In addition to digital storage, there is one more great benefit for clinicians with regards to communication with practitioners. It makes it quite simple to export patient images to a disc that the patient can take with him or her to another practitioner. Additionally , you will have the ability to email images to other doctors as well.
To the eco-friendly dentist, switching over to digital dental radiography also means getting rid of film developers and their chemicals. Keeping these developing stations is really a daunting task, and there is always the stains and odors with the solutions that you had to be aware of. Digital radiography gets rid of the necessity for these stations so that means no more chemicals, no more dark room, and you may also free up the area that the equipment once occupied.
The sensitivity of the digital sensors includes lowered radiation. Digital dental radiography offers up to a 70 to 80 % reduction. By the time you'll have taken full mouth periapical images, you will have exposed the individual to about the same amount of radiation exposure involved while taking one periapical image obtained using typical radiography. This decline in radiation is particularly important during implant placement or complicated endodontic treatment where multiple radiographic images are employed.
There are a variety disadvantages to transitioning your dental practice over to digital radiography. The high cost is the most important factor to consider when taking into consideration the decision to switch. The price will consist of acquiring or upgrading to new computer systems including a database storage server and full computer systems in each exam room and every operatory room. It's essential to also purchase the digital sensors which will go into the patients mouth, along with stocking up on accessories to accompany the sensors including hygienic covers, guards, and alignment rings. The initial kit you get from the dental vendor of your choosing must also include the needed software that will enable you capture and store digital images. This software will also be compatible with your practice management software, or perhaps you can opt for the choice to switch your whole practice over to an all-in-one solution where the practice management software program is als o replaced.
A few other costs to consider may be spending money on a worker hourly to manually scan all of the older classic x-rays into the new digital database. This particular process of manual scanning of radiographs should be done little by little and spread out with time as patients come in for follow up visits. This way the costs of the work can be spread over multiple months which enables it to be absorbed by the practice easier. Yet another factor that you have to consider is hiring a third party IT company who specializes in digital radiography and dental practice management. Save yourself the funds to start with by hiring competent computer technicians. Remember, you are losing money whenever your computer systems are down, so get good help the first time. Take into account also that you will need to educate yourself as well as your staff to work with the new equipment. This will likely also mean paying a representative to come to your practice for a few days to teach your practice all at once.
The digital sensors are thick and bulky in size and are very rigid. I should also point out that they're somewhat delicate. They usually cannot stand a fall onto a hard floor. The sensor contains a long cable attached to it that also connects to the computer. These cables may be unintentionally tripped over, as well as fray if taken out of the computer incorrectly. Breakage to these sensors requires replacement which is usually in excess of $10,000 per sensor to replace. The good news is that you should not have to purchase a digital sensor for each room in your practice since you will most likely not be taking radiographs in every room at the same time. Most practices will get by just fine with One or two sensors in each size. That will save your practice some funds initially.
Some great benefits of changing your practice over to digital dental radiography far outweigh the disadvantages i believe. These benefits also justify the higher initial cost of switching over as well. As this technology progresses, patients have become more conscious of its benefits and are actively seeking practices that offer a digital radiographic solution instead of traditional x-rays. Personally, I suggest digital radiography to just about all practices that are looking to progress and develop their business.
For more information on digital dental radiography, please take a moment to check out the Digital Dental Radiography Headquarters blog located at
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