Like anything you will find in a dental surgery in Swindon these days, x-rays have benefited from the incredible advancements in technology made possible by the computer. X-rays have always been of incredible value to the medical world, but over recent years they have become more refined and the way they are stored, a lot simpler. When you have a digital x-ray, it will feel to you very much like the old process- standing in front of a screen so that the image can be taken. However, unlike before, there is very little radiation involved and the image then, had to be processed onto a large negative; the information is now fed straight into a computer and the image is flash up immediately. This is only good for the health of your mouth because the dentist can get to work on you immediately and even if the work needs to be done by a specialist, the image can be e-mailed off and you could be seen to the next day. Such on the spot diagnosis can mean the difference between you having for example, a filling as opposed to if you have to wait, root canal treatment. The other advantage is that all this information about you can be stored on a file or disc and be on the computer screen at the touch of a button whenever needed. Clifton dental can supply you with all the information you need about digital x-rays.
Of all the modern technological advances in dentistry, few have been as revolutionary and useful as digital x-rays. They have reduced waiting times and treatment times and also made possible a new series of treatments that are changing modern dentistry.
Digital x-rays produce an immediate and three-dimensional image of the patient’s mouth and teeth onto a computer screen. This has replaced the old style traditional x-rays which produced two-dimensional black and white images. This ;also needed developing that could take up to several days depending on the number of patients.
Swindon dentists can now get an incredibly accurate image of the patient’s teeth almost immediately, which they can then use for further treatment. One of the newest methods of treatment is called Cerec. This allows dentists to produce dental restorations such as crowns, veneers and dental inlays in only one appointment. The process is able to work because of the images produced by the digital x-rays. The dentist can use this image to create a dental crown or veneer on the computer. When satisfied with the size and shape he can then utilise a computer-guided machine to sculpt the restoration from a single piece of porcelain. This takes as little as six minutes per tooth and represents an astonishing leap forward in dental technology.
Digital x-rays have not only improved the time of treatment but they have also improved its quality. The images available now are accurate to microscopic degrees. This has allowed treatments to become more accurate and means dentists no longer need to rely on clumsy and time-consuming dental moulds.
Dr Gerrard is a Bristol based Cosmetic dentist with many years of experience and is one of only a small number of dentists accredited by The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
