A status report on digital imaging for dentistry

Abstract

Digital radiographic systems for use in dental practice have been available for almost two decades, but internationally most dentists still use analog silver halide X-ray film. This article is a review of the presumed advantages digital radiographic systems have over conventional X-ray film with special emphasis on the costs and benefits of current intraoral and panoramic systems. It is concluded that more evaluations of time and motion for digital imaging in dental practice are needed. Moreover, evidence-based logic should be applied to the determination of the physical properties required by image detectors for the performance of the different diagnostic tasks that are needed when practicing dentistry.