63 The High Street 
Digital Intraoral X-Rays
At the Buntingford Dentist, we pride ourselves in using the latest technology to improve efficiency for you and provide you with the best possible service. Digital imaging and processing have led to a new quality of diagnosis in the practice. X-ray and video images form the basis of a sound evaluation and a communication between dentist and patient.
In order to get a better picture of what is happening to your teeth, we often need to take an X-ray. Digital radiography is a form of X-ray imaging, where digital X-ray sensors are used instead of traditional photographic film. Advantages include time efficiency through bypassing chemical processing and the ability to digitally transfer and enhance images. Also less radiation can be used to produce an image of similar contrast to conventional radiography.
The x-ray machine.
The image transferred to the computer.
Tell me more...
The radiological examination is where the film or the sensor is placed in the mouth, the purpose being to visualize a limited region and extra-oral where the film or the sensor is outside the mouth and the purpose is to visualize a wide region. Once the image is taken the image plate is placed into a cassette. The cassette is then fed into the Vistascan device, where the image plate is scanned to produce a high-resolution digital X-ray, in seconds. Alternatively the dentist can achieve instant clear results with the new hand-held minicam (see below).
Well-practiced procedures in the surgery have been easily transformed from film based to image plate technology. There is no change in the x-ray procedure, but many things are simplified. Positioning and taking of exposures is exactly the same as film, except for reduced time.
The Image plate is a thin flexible plate, which is positioned in the same way as a film, but more comfortable. In particular, for X-rays taken in the molar region.
The particular type of digital system we use is a Memory Phosphor Plate (aka PSP - Phosphor Plate) in place of the film. After X-ray exposure the plate (sheet) is placed in a special scanner where the latent formed image is retrieved point by point and digitized, using a laser light scanning. The digitized images are stored and displayed on the computer screen. This method is half way between old film based technology and the current direct digital imaging technology. It differs from the conventional film process because the chemical development process is replaced by the scanning process.
For more information and advice, come into the Buntingford Dentist and make an appointment to see one of our dental staff.
Further analysis and measurements made on the computer.
