An orthodontist needs radiographs to get a clear view of their patient's underlying bone structures and teeth. In addition, creating a personalized treatment plan for your patient can be challenging without high-quality radiographs.
There is no doubt that traditional film radiographs offered critical insight into patients' oral structure. But our world is changing—today, we have hi-tech digital radiographs that allow you to enhance the dental structure of your patient on a large HD computer screen.
Moreover, with Digital X-Rays, you can copy your digital radiographs quickly and with extreme ease, allowing effective comparisons of the new patient's results to previous images. For example, if you've been using a Forestandent Snap-Lock-Expander to fix a constricted upper jaw, you can see the improvements over time.
Now, you know that investing in digital X-ray technology is vital. However, which machines do you get for your clinic? Read on—we've got four answers for you.
4 Modern Digital X-Ray Machines Every Orthodontist Needs
1. Digital Panoramic X-Rays
A panoramic X-ray utilizes a machine that moves around your patient's head, capturing all teeth—lower and upper—in one radiograph. The two-dimensional X-ray image generated by the machine plays a crucial role in your diagnostic process—it will show you the following:
The root positioning of the patient's teeth
Lower and lower jawbone health levels
Impacted teeth
Jaw tumors and other disorders
Accelerated gum disease
Oral cancer
Jawbone cysts
A quick digital panoramic X-ray can help determine whether your patient needs a Forestadent 2D Lingual Bracket to fix overcrowding, tooth extraction if they have impacted teeth, or whether they have to be referred to the hospital for more checkups in case of tumors.
2. Intraoral X-Ray Sensors
Intraoral digital x-ray sensors are taking over from the traditional film x-rays in modern orthodontic practices, and it's for a good reason. These digital X-rays make your work easier and faster and reduce the radiation levels for your patients.
As an orthodontist, you can use the intraoral digital x-ray sensors in several scenarios, including:
Bitewing X-Rays
Commonly abbreviated as BWR, Bitewing X-rays give you a clear view of the lower and upper teeth from the crown to the bone areas of the patient's mouth. This simple yet effective procedure allows you to discover problems with the patient's teeth that may need to be addressed before you can improve their oral's aesthetic appeal.
For example, a research study conducted in 2022 analyzed the effectiveness of bitewing radiographs in aiding the early detection of interproximal carious lesions. The research study concluded that bitewing radiographs are highly effective in diagnosing numerous carious lesions, which can help reduce medical costs that often go up if the carious lesions go undetected for an extended period.
A digital bitewing radiograph will allow you to discover the health of the enamel, roots, and inner canals. If the radiograph determines that your patient does not have unaddressed oral health issues, you can then proceed to use JISCOP NiTi wire for teeth alignment.
Occlusal X-Rays
Occlusal X-rays allow you to get a close-up view of the mouth's roof and floor. This type of x-ray will allow you to view the following:
Impacted teeth
Jaw fractures
Cysts
Growths or abscesses
Foreign objects
This digital x-ray will inform your decision on whether to use OrthoApnea to improve your patient's sleep and eliminate snoring or refer them to a professional dentist for tooth extraction (in the case of impacted teeth) or to a doctor in the event of growth.
Periapical X-Rays
A periapical radiograph offers you a clear view of the teeth from their crown to the end of the root inside the patient's jaw. This radiography provides vital information about the teeth and surrounding bone so you can know how to approach the patient's orthodontic treatment.
In one research study, scientists analyzed the effects of radiographic examinations to aid the planning of orthodontic treatment. The study concluded that in many cases, the clinical examination, supplemented with x-ray photographs, provides adequate information for the orthodontist to work with when planning treatment.
3. Phosphor Plate X-Ray Systems
A research article published in 2017 in the National Library of Medicine classified digital oral x-rays as direct, semi-direct, and indirect. In this case, the phosphor plate x-ray systems fall under the semi-direct category, where you capture the patient's dental arrangement using a phosphor plate. Then, a charge-coupling transfers the number of electrons deposited on the plate pixel by pixel, allowing you to view the image on your computer monitor.
One thing that makes phosphor plate x-ray systems effective is that they are more flexible than digital sensors. They can fit in spaces where a digital sensor may not fit, allowing you a better view of the patient's mouth. This could help determine whether your patient needs a 12 mm or 10 mm MSE Type-2 Refill Kit to expand their upper jaw.
4. Dental Cone Beam Systems
Often abbreviated as CBCT, the dental cone beam system is a type of radiography that allows you to generate 3-D images of your patient's teeth, nerve pathways, bone, and soft tissues in one scan.
A research study conducted in 2019 analyzed the importance of using dental cone beam systems in orthodontic treatments. The researchers noted that this procedure allows orthodontists to:
Assess ectopic & impacted teeth
Assess the pharyngeal airway
Evaluate root resorption
Evaluate cortical bone plate
Assess mini-implant sites
Evaluate craniofacial abnormalities
Evaluate sinus pathology and anatomy
Aid in the planning of orthognathic surgery
The CBCT scan can help determine whether your patient will benefit from a Dentos AbsoAnchor Micro implant or if you have to use a maxillary expander to improve their airways and breathing.
Overview
Digital x-rays carry a wide variety of benefits for patients undergoing orthodontic treatments. First, as an orthodontist, you help your clients save time because their images are ready immediately. Moreover, you expose these patients to less radiation. Finally, with the unlimited potential of enhancements on digital radiographs, you get a better view of your client's dental structure, allowing you to better plan treatment for the patient.
However, the big question is, what digital X-ray machines do you need? In this guide, we have discussed four machines you can use in your orthodontic practice. While some of these machines are semi-direct (meaning they are not 100% digital), they still deliver more benefits than traditional x-rays.
Comentarios