Focus on Smiles Blog

Having digital radiographs, or x-rays, taken of the inside of your mouth is an important part of your dental health. Digital radiographs will show Dr. Fialka-Eshenko and her experienced dental team any issues you may have. They can reveal cavities and tooth decay, problems related to gum disease including bone loss, and show any tooth impaction. With digital x-rays we can tell if you will need a root canal.

In addition to revealing any problems you might have with your teeth, digital radiographs can show us the condition your dental bridges or dental crowns are in, as well as tell us if you are a good candidate for dental implants. Images can be enlarged to help identify problem areas.

Some people wish to forego their dental x-rays over concerns about exposure to radiation. Although there is some radiation exposure with digital radiographs, it is much less than conventional radiography. In fact, digital radiography uses 50 percent less radiation than traditional dental x-rays. Another benefit is the time efficiency through bypassing chemical processing and we are able to digitally transfer and enhance images.

Digital radiography is also environmentally friendly because we no longer use the individual film that is packaged in plastic, paper and has a lead liner. We don’t have to store film as the image is stored as a digital file. Because the images are displayed on a computer screen we don’t need the chemicals used to process the film, hence we are environmentally friendly!

Digital radiographs are not a replacement for visual examinations, but supplement them and allow us to provide you with the best dental care possible.

If you have any questions about using digital radiography in your dental procedure, please contact experienced general and cosmetic dentist Dr. Christine Fialka-Eshenko at Focus on Smiles in Edmonton, Alberta.