Digital X-rays

As needed x-rays -

Our office uses digital radiography.  This allows us to reduce radiation exposure by 80% compared to traditional dental X-rays.  The film system we use is more comfortable than traditional X-rays and some digital X-ray systems.  Although X-rays are needed for diagnosis and in many cases are the only means of diagnosis, we take only those X-rays we feel are necessary.  We base that necessity on each patients’ current teeth conditions, age and past dental history.  We always try to obtain X-rays from a previous office that are of diagnostic quality to minimize excess exposure.

Required regular X-ray machine checks and licensure -

Our x-rays machines are state of the art, less than 10 years old and have been inspected for safety and we maintain our annual licensure.

Recommended or required use of lead shields -

Before making radiographs, we will cover a patient from the neck to the knees with a lead-lined full-body apron.  Although this type of protection was very important in the old days of high-scatter machines, today the lead aprons offer more peace of mind than actual protection because stray radiation from modern dental X-ray machines is almost nonexistent.