Dental radiography has evolved from film and chemical developers into a highly technical process that involves various types of dental x-ray machines, as well as powerful dental software programs to assist the dentist with image acquisition and diagnostic analysis of the acquired images. When contemplating the change to digital dental in your practice, the choices can be confusing for the dentist.

Dental imaging, or dental radiography, has traditionally been done by using x-rays to produce images on film. Digital radiography replaces photographic film with digital-image capture devices that can record and store the image as a computer file. This allows images to be produced more quickly by illuminating the need to develop chemical film and makes it possible to use various computer-enhancement techniques to improve the image.

If you are a general practitioner, a standard 2D panorex will provide all of the imaging requirements needed for such treatments as caries detection, diagnosis of TMJ issues, OPG images, and images of the patients entire detention in a single x-ray. Many of the newer 2D panoramic units also offer extraoral bitewing imaging capability, which allows the dentist to obtain a bitewing image without putting a sensor or periapical film inside of the patient’s mouth.

The orthodontist requires a way to obtain the size and form of craniofacial structures in the patient. For this reason, a cephalometric extension on the imaging x-ray device is necessary to acquire images that evaluate the five components of the face, the cranium and cranial base, the skeletal maxillae, the skeletal mandible, and maxillary dentition. The cephalometric attachment offers images such as frontal AP and lateral cephs.

The choice between the different types of images depends on a couple of different things, particularly the part of the mouth being scanned and the reason for taking the pictures in the first place. Simply creating images as a baseline for care is usually different than investigating known problems or conditions.

When making the decision to purchase x-ray equipment, the doctor needs to research the available options thoroughly, in order to make an informed choice for the “right” machine for his or her practice.