Dental imaging technology is one of the most important ways that dentists can help patients with their oral health needs. This comes in various forms, but the purpose behind it is to help dentists see into our mouths better, including those spaces in and around teeth that are hard to spot, the back of the throat, and any other areas that are hard to reach.
Here are some of the dental imaging technologies we use at Modern Dental Care to improve the services we provide to you.
Digital X-Rays
Compared to standard x-rays, which take a photograph of the inside of the mouth, teeth, and jawbone, digital x-rays are much more advanced and allow dentists to see the inside of your mouth with much greater detail.
A digital x-ray is a computer-aided x-ray that produces images of the teeth, jawbone, and joints that can be enhanced and looked at from different angles. The higher image quality makes it possible for the dentist to see things they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
Panoramic X-Rays
Another advancement in dental imaging technology allows dentists to take panoramic images of your entire mouth and see surfaces and objects with incredible accuracy. Before this technology, dentists had to take x-rays multiple times from several different angles to see the whole mouth and then compare each picture to see if anything was amiss.
Seeing the whole picture at once not only improves the chances that your dentist will spot a potential issue early but that they will be able to treat it in time to prevent further problems. This also saves the dentist and patient a lot of time.
Intraoral Scanners and Cameras
Besides x-rays, there are other types of technology that make it easier for dentists to see inside the mouth and make impressions for dental applications. Previously it was very time-consuming and invasive to have a set of dentures, bridgework, mouthguards, or other equipment made because impressions had to be made by hand, and each one took time.
Now with the use of intraoral scanners, dentists can cut the time needed to do these tasks considerably and make it much easier on the patient.
Another type of intraoral technology is the intraoral camera. Cameras allow doctors to see the inside of the mouth and the position of teeth, tongue, and jawbone in real-time. This is useful for diagnostic and educational purposes, as the dentist can show you in real-time the effects of oral hygiene on plaque and tartar build-up, tooth decay, and other things.