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10 Things Your Dentist By WILLIAM MAULDIN AOL: 6. "My equipment is state-of-the-art -- circa 1985.""Dentists are creatures of habit," says Richard Hirschland, the head of Kodak's dental business. Perhaps that's one reason they've been slow to embrace the digital X-ray, developed more than two decades ago. Manufacturers estimate only 15 to 25% of dentists have a digital system in their office, and according to a 2004 study in The Journal of the American Dental Association, fewer than 12% of U.S. dentists rely exclusively on digital radiography. Dr. JPM: Yes, Dentists are creatures of habit. When we have something that's safe, effective, inexpensive, and diagnostic, we tend to keep it. My main objection to digital X-rays is that they rely on Windows-based computers. Anybody have a reliable Windows system yet? Although I have not found a completely reliable computer, our office has upgraded to digital X-rays. We insure quality by printing a copy of your X-ray and filing it in your chart. AOL: The benefits are clear: Instead of waiting four minutes for X-ray film to develop, digital systems display your teeth on a monitor in seconds. Your dentist can also use computer tools to search for decay automatically, and if needed, he can email your X-rays to your insurance company for approval. Dr. JPM: No doubt about those benefits. There was one other benefit that was not mentioned: digital X-rays use less radiation than traditional film X-rays. Digital X-rays are definitely a future tool for most offices. AOL: Despite these advantages, many dental offices have balked at the cost: roughly $10,000 to $20,000 to convert an exam room. Of course, old-fashioned X-rays are fine too, but when you see an endodontist for a root canal, a digital sensor can spare you lots of unpleasant time in the chair. Luckily, about half of endodontists have gone digital -- check ahead to make sure yours is among them. Dr. JPM: The cost is certainly not a determining factor. I spent more than that on my air abrasion unit or my panelipse X-ray machine, and both machines have more than paid for themselves while keeping the patient comfortable. For some cost perspective, let me say that the treatment room in which you sit costs as much as a Porsche. I have five treatment rooms. The highly specialized equipment we dentists use is expensive. The cost of implementing digital X-rays is not a prohibitive factor. The actual long term savings of going digital are compelling: no more film, no more chemicals, no more X-ray developing machines, and significant time savings.
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