Digital X-Rays
The pictures that show what an examination cannot: between the teeth, and under them.
New patients welcome — we'll confirm your time by phone.
Book an exam→About digital x-rays.
Half of what matters in a mouth is out of sight — decay starting between two teeth, an infection at the tip of a root, the level of the bone holding a tooth in. An X-ray is how those get found before they announce themselves.
Digital sensors replace film: the image appears on screen in seconds, it can be enlarged and adjusted, and the radiation dose is lower than the film it replaced.
Dental X-rays are a very low dose; a lead apron and thyroid collar are available.
Tell us if you are or might be pregnant, and we will plan around it.
Images can be shared with a specialist or another dentist on request.
How often depends on your own decay and gum risk, not on a fixed schedule.
What actually happens, in order.
A small sensor is placed in the mouth, or a scanner travels around your head for a panoramic view.
The exposure takes a fraction of a second, and the image is on screen immediately.
We look at it on the screen in front of you, and I show you what I am seeing.
Questions we get.
If yours is not here, ask when you book — it is a better answer in person anyway.
Are dental X-rays safe?
The dose from a set of bitewings is small — a fraction of what you get from ordinary background radiation in a year. They are still only taken when they will change what we do.
Can I see them?
Yes, and you should. A digital image goes straight on the screen and I will point out what I am looking at.
Can you send them to my other dentist?
Yes. Ask and we will send a copy.