Introduced in 1987, nearly 90 years after traditional x-rays came to fruition, digital radiography combined the power of computer technology with electric sensors and tiny bursts of radiation. Rather than printing the results on film, images form almost as soon as the sensors are placed in our mouths, projecting on a computer screen. Digital x-ray technology does demand additional training for dentists, though the majority of practitioners are adamant that the advantages are worth the commitment. Today, a lot of dental offices only offer patients digital x-rays because, in multiple ways, it is the superior option to traditional radiography.

• Less Expensive | Digital x-rays will generally cost you less than the traditional alternative because the cost of film to develop images for the latter adds up. In contrast, digital x-ray imaging projects right onto our computer.
• Better Storage | Since these digital x-ray images are transferred to a computer system, it allows for easier storage of your oral health records. Your data can be transferred from one dentist to another without any medical data being lost in the exchange.
• Finer Images | Digital x-ray images produce a better resolution than their traditional counterpart. Also, old-fashioned x-rays can only project images in 25 various shades, whereas a digital image can reveal up to 256 shades of grey. Digital radiography also has the advantage of accessing more angles within our mouths, providing a streamlined view of a patient's entire oral structure. With the assistance of computer programs, dentists can even enhance the digital images further, for a focused view.

VELscope's Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment System is a handheld scope utilized by dentists to help visualize oral tissue abnormalities, including cancer and pre-cancer. This device is used together with, and as a supplement, to the traditional intra and extraoral head and neck examination. The VELscope Vx differs from other adjunctive devices used for oral examination by not requiring any dyes or extended testing procedures. A VELscope Vx exam is completed in our office during a routine hygiene appointment, in roughly two minutes.

Revolutionizing how oral mucosal examinations are executed, the VELscope Vx handheld device emits a bright blue light that is used to inspect our mouths and tongue. As the device is sensitive to abnormal tissue changes, the blue-spectrum light causes the soft tissue (oral mucosa) of our mouths to naturally fluoresce. Healthy tissues glow in distinct patterns that may be visibly disrupted when tissue undergoes an abnormal change, like when it is associated with oral cancer or dysplasia. Potential cancerous or pre-cancerous tissues can be invisible to even a trained eye, which is why the VELscope Vx device is vital in aiding the traditional intra and extraoral head and neck examination. More thorough exams provide our dentist a better chance to identify suspicious areas and quickly investigate for potential oral disease. Such early discovery is imperative because it increases the five-year survival rate for oral cancer patients to about 83 percent.

Dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a special type of x-ray machine that is implemented in scenarios where normal dental or facial x-rays are insufficient. This variation of the CT scanner employs a special type of technology to generate 3-D images of dental structures, soft tissues, nerve paths, and bone in the craniofacial area, in one scan. These images allow for more specific treatment planning. The CBCT machine has an x-ray beam, in the shape of a cone, which moves around you to create a large number of high-quality images, or views. It was developed as a means to produce similar images to what a CT provides, though with a significantly smaller and less costly machine that could be situated in an outpatient office. Providing detailed images of the bone, the CBCT machine evaluates diseases of the jaw, dentition, bony structures of the face, sinuses, and nasal cavity. One shortcoming is that it does not provide the comprehensive diagnostic information available with conventional CT, especially in the analyzing of soft tissue structures such as muscles, glands, nerves, and lymph nodes. The CBCT machine can also be used for reconstructive surgery, cephalometric analysis, locating the origin of pain or pathology, surgical planning for impacted teeth, diagnosing temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), and for the accurate placement of dental implants.

Intraoral cameras are digital imaging tools that dentists utilize to create high-resolution images of your teeth and mouth. These small devices can comfortably fit in your mouth and can be maneuvered over and around your teeth. Once the images are captured, software works to piece them together to develop a digital 3-D model of your mouth. We implement these cameras for various purposes, including a single tooth that needs a restorative procedure or to capture images of soft tissues in our mouths, including our gums and soft palate. A large number of dental issues and conditions that affect our teeth and soft tissues are preventable, which is why intraoral cameras are particular helpful. Dentists can pinpoint and show patients precisely where their oral care needs to be concentrated. Intraoral cameras also limit your time in the office because the images are produced in real-time, and the outcomes are available almost immediately.