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Dr Sandeep Sharma
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Digital technology is the cornerstone of the information and connectivity revolution of our times. The advent of digital technology-enabled super fast communication and revolutionised several facets of our lives. No wonder, that the digital revolution is often described as the third industrial revolution as it changed the way we knew many things. The old music records were converted into CDs, mail became email, film making bid adieu to film reels and computers and smartphones became the central feature of our lives. We have also effectively bid goodbye to photography as we knew it, turning a new page with digital camera.
The field of medicine has not remained untouched by this digital revolution. Like in every other field where digital technology has been used, in the field of medicine too the benefits of digital radiography have been immense. From revealing more detailed, clearer X-Ray accounts to better shareability of films to extreme ease of storage, digital radiography has helped make diagnosis more accurate and convenient.
Digital radiography has been used widely in medicine. However, when it comes to oral dentistry, the use of digital imaging is a relatively later phenomenon. Yet, the advent of oral digital technology has enabled dentists or orthodontics to devise better treatment mechanisms for patients. Cosmetic dentistry too has benefitted from it. More and more dental clinics today are accepting digital imaging as a superior alternative to conventional film imaging.
Digital imaging in oral dentistry
The physical process for digital radiography is actually similar to traditional dental X-rays that use film. With digital radiography, your dentist inserts a sensor into your mouth to capture images of your teeth – but that’s where the similarities between conventional and digital dental X-rays end. Although it resembles the film used for bitewings and other X-rays, the digital sensor is electronic and connected to a computer. Once the X-ray is taken, the image is projected on a screen for your dentist to view.
Digital radiography allows the clinician to store images of the teeth and mouth on a computer unlike the traditional X-Ray hard film that has to be carried around. The high resolution digital images can be zoomed in to focus more an area, they can be superimposed to get greater clarity of the condition, and can also be transferred easily to another destination through email. The storage becomes super easy as the film is simply stored in the computer, and doesn’t need to be carried around.
This makes diagnostics more efficient and convenient and allows for easier patient communication. The clinicians can better communicate images electronically, allowing for easier referrals as well as easier insurance claim submissions.
Advantages of this type of system include the ability to gain cephalometric analysis for orthodontics, to gauge the size and special relationships of the teeth, jaws, and cranium. This analysis assists in better treatment planning. In India, the use of digital imaging in oral dentistry is yet to become a common practice. However, our clinics are equipped with most advanced digital radiography technology for better diagnosis and treatment.
Here we list some of the benefits that accrue from using digital radiography as against traditional film X-rays:
- Less radiation: The equipment used in digital radiography exposes dental patients to much less radiation. In fact, digital X-rays use up to 90 per cent less radiation than film X-rays. While conventional dental X-rays are relatively safe, digital radiography is an excellent option for those who take X-rays on a regular basis or for those who are concerned about radiation.
- Shorter dental appointments: Digital radiography can also shorten your dental appointment! With traditional dental X-rays, you’ll have to wait while your dentist develops the film. With digital radiography, the sensor develops the picture almost instantly and projects it onto a computer screen right before your eyes.
- Higher quality images: The standard size of traditional X-rays can make viewing difficult, but digital radiography has done away with the “one size fits all” mentality. Once on the screen, digital X-rays can be enlarged or magnified for a better visual of the tooth’s structure. Brightness, contrast and colour can also be adjusted, allowing your dentist to see small cavities easier. If you need a hard copy of your X-ray, digital images can also be printed out.
- Transferring dental records: Digital images can be e-mailed to a dental specialist for immediate review. Digital X-rays are taking away the expense and time needed to copy files and mail them to another dentist, making it easier to transfer dental records or get a second opinion. As more and more clinic turn to electronic patient charts, computers may eliminate the need to mail dental records altogether.
- Environmentally-friendly: Digital dental X-rays are better for the environment! With digital radiography, no chemicals are used to develop film. There’s also no wasted space of a darkroom and no need to store film, which can pile up in a dentist’s files.
This enables the dentists to see overall health of teeth and mouth; it helps to measure the health of bone and the condition of infection; it assists in planning exact treatment by offering precise and clear images. It is faster than existing equipment and remarkably reduces exposure to radiation by 60 per cent. In India, the market for dentistry is growing rapidly. According to global market analysis conducting agency MarketResearch.com, in 2010, the Indian dental imaging market exceeded Rs five billion. This is growing rapidly year-on-year. Over the next ten years, a major portion of the dental imaging market is expected to go digital.