Why don't dentists use X-rays more often?

 Why don't dentists use X-rays more often?

A few years ago, some dentists X-rayed a

patient's teeth annually. Because X-rays

often reveal hidden problems, it seemed

a sensible practice.

Just as chest X-rays are no longer given

routinely by mobile units, dental X-rays

are also less common. X-rays carry some

risk from radiation, and medical practi-

tioners in all fields try to limit their use.

A new electronic dental X-ray system,

undergoing tests in the United States,

may cut much of that danger. By provid-

ing images of teeth on a computer screen,

it aims to give dentists a faster and safer

screening technique. It reduces radiation

to a half or third of that in conventional X-

rays. In the computerised system, a small

electronic sensor replaces the film. X-rays

strike the sensor, which is linked to a

personal computer, giving the dentist

images within seconds. By using the live

display or a recording, the dentist can

explain to a patient precisely what needs

to be done.

by brighton