Digital imaging and its effects on practice

Digital radiography was once only seen in hospitals or practices at the cutting edge of technology. Nowadays, it is becoming the standard method of imaging in dental surgeries.

However, for the uninitiated it can look a little daunting. Here, we will take a look at the different technologies, the benefits digital radiography can bring to a practice and how it can improve life for the dental nurse.

Before discussing digital radiography, it is perhaps worth having a quick look at what radiation is and how it is used in the dental surgery.

X-rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, like visible light (see Figure 1). When thinking about x-rays, it may help to imagine an x-ray beam being similar to the beam of light from a torch.