Digital Radiography: An Overview

Abstract

Since the discovery of X-rays in 1895, film has been the primary medium for capturing, displaying, and storing radiographic images. It is a technology that dental practitioners are the most familiar and comfortable with in terms of technique and interpretation. Digital radiography is the latest advancement in dental imaging and is slowly being adopted by the dental profession. Digital imaging incorporates computer technology in the capture, display, enhancement, and storage of direct radiographic images. Digital imaging offers some distinct advantages over film, but like any emerging technology, it presents new and different challenges for the practitioner to overcome.This article presents an overview of digital imaging including basic terminology and comparisons with film-based imaging. The principles of direct and indirect digital imaging modalities, intraoral and extraoral applications, image processing, and diagnostic efficacy will be discussed. In addition, the article will provide a list of questions dentists should consider prior to purchasing digital imaging systems for their practice.

Adoption of new endodontic technology by dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia

“…These technological advances have significantly improved the way we perform endodontics such as providing better maintenance of prepared root canal geometry (Esposito and Cunningham, 1995;Short et al, 1997;Gergi et al, 2010), causing less extrusion of debris (Ferraz et al, 2001), reducing the time required for root canal preparation (Guelzow et al, 2005;Liu et al, 2006), more accurate working length determination (ElAyouti et al, 2002;Gordon and Chandler, 2004;D'Assuncao et al, 2007;de Camargo et al, 2009;Stoll et al, 2010), lower dose of radiation exposure, computer-aided interpretation and image enhancement, and easier image archiving and retrieval (Brunton et al, 2002;Parks and Williamson, 2002;van der Stelt, 2005;Nair and Nair, 2007). It is important to take advantage of the use of rotary NiTi instrumentation systems, Digital radiography, and Electronic Apex Locators to improve the efficiency and quality of root canal therapy provided to patients.…”

“…Compared to stainless steel hand files, NiTi rotary instruments improve the quality of root canal preparation and reduce root canal preparation time (Esposito and Cunningham, 1995;Short et al, 1997;Guelzow et al, 2005;Liu et al, 2006). Digital radiography provides several advantages over conventional film radiography including lower dose of radiation exposure, computer-aided interpretation and image enhancement, and easier image archiving and retrieval (Parks and Williamson, 2002;van der Stelt, 2005;Nair and Nair, 2007). Modern Electronic Apex Locators can determine working length during root canal therapy with a high accuracy (Gordon and Chandler, 2004;D'Assuncao et al, 2007;de Camargo et al, 2009;Stoll et al, 2010).…”

Methods and interpretation of performance studies for dental implants

“…A digital system combining fast image recovery and easy data management (Parks and Williamson, 2002) should be preferred to a regular one (Woodward, 2009).…”

Extraoral periapical radiography: an alternative approach to intraoral periapical radiography

“…Thus a large group of patients are unable to tolerate the intraoral film/sensor placement in their mouth 1. The number of these patients is increased in size with the advent of digital radiography because of the rigidity and thickness of the radiographic sensor 2. For these patients, Newman and Friedman in 2003 developed an alternative technique for treating a wide spectrum of patients who could not tolerate intraoral placement of film 3.…”