SAVVY SUCCESS
Achieving Professional Excellence and Career Satisfaction in the Dental Hygiene Profession Volume III: Technology-Ethics-Career Success
by
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Chapter 35: Digital Radiography in Practice
Gail F. Williamson, RDH, MS, and Edwin T. Parks, DMD, MS
Learning Objectives
The student dental hygienist and dental hygiene professional will learn the following key objectives from this chapter:
1. Describe the different types of receptors used for intraoral and panoramic digital imaging.
2. Outline the procedural steps involved in taking digital intraoral and panoramic images.
3. Discuss typical software tools that are available to enhance digital radiographic images.
4. Identify and correct common errors that occur in intraoral and panoramic digital imaging.
5. Discuss the benefits of digital radiography in patient education and treatment.
Overview
Digital radiography provides an efficient modality for acquiring, viewing and storing radiographic images used in dentistry. Convenience, time-saving, environmental benefits and patient exposure reduction are among the many advantages digital radiography offers when compared to film-based imaging. While digital radiography is not a panacea for all imaging challenges such as technical errors and patient management difficulties, it does facilitate the dental appointment and provides better opportunities for co-diagnosis and patient education.
Current Trends
Digital radiographic imaging technology has been available for almost 20 years. The transition from radiographic film to digital receptors has steadily increased over time. Cost has been a major obstacle to digital conversion. But if one looks at the cost of film, processing solutions, disposal of exhausted solutions and staff time spent processing film; digital imaging will pay for itself over time. Additionally, patient acceptance of proposed treatment is enhanced when the patient can actually visualize the problem instead of staring at a tiny film on a viewbox. Steps in the conversion to digital radiography necessitate assessment of the office infrastructure including radiographic equipment, computer hardware and software and network capabilities as well as consideration of patient demographics and the range of dental procedures performed in the office. Selection of the receptor is often dependent on the patient population, whether children or adults, and the types of dental procedures performed such as endodontics and/or implants. In addition, the office staff must have the requisite radiographic and computer skills for successful implementation of digital radiography. Intraoral digital imaging requires better technical skills than film-based imaging. The clinician should be well-versed in both the paralleling and bisecting angle intraoral techniques. Receptor placement is dictated by the patient’s oral anatomy. Intraoral receptor instruments are beneficial, but are ineffective if placement and projection geometry are not accurate. Image acquisition is fairly straight forward, but image enhancement, storage and integration with existing software demand good computer skills. These skills need to be developed before implementing digital imaging.
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About the Book
SAVVY SUCCESS
Achieving Professional Excellence and Career Satisfaction
in the Dental Hygiene Profession
Volume III: Technology-Ethics-Career Success
Volume III: Technology-Ethics-Career Success covers new trends occurring in practice
to help dental hygienists in time management and efficiency in their positions; use of
technology such as digital radiography in practice; trends in polishing practices; the oralsystemic
link and its connection to overall wellness; the use of teledentistry to care for
access to care populations; ethical decision making; risk management; medical emergencies
and tobacco cessation. The seventh unit of Volume III is on Dental Hygiene and Securing
Career Satisfaction. Volume III concludes with the importance of lifelong learning;
balancing work and personal life; and dental hygiene and career satisfaction focuses on
insights that I and other dental hygienists I have interviewed provide on how to achieve
career satisfaction and what skills and attributes can assist dental hygienists in reaching
this level of happiness and success in their professional careers
Glossary of Terms, Index and Appendix in each of the 3 textbooks, Volume I-III of SAVVY SUCCESS includes a Glossary of Terms which defines key terms utilized in the chapters included in each textbook that students, faculty members and practicing dental hygienists can review to define these key words. An index is also included in the three volumes. In Volume III of SAVVY SUCCESS an appendix is included which highlights information from the Chapter 41 author on the ADHA Code of Ethics.
About the Author
Christine A. Hovliaras, RDH, BS, MBA, CDE, President, Professional Savvy, LLC, an oral care consulting, professional marketing and continuing education company located in New Jersey. Christine is a dental hygiene professional with over 28 years of experience in clinical, educational and research experience in both academia and industry. Her expertise in industry includes dental clinical research, sales training, professional sales and professional marketing and relations at the Warner-Lambert Company from 1989-2001. She was Editor-in-Chief of ADHA’s Access Magazine from 2005-2008 and Editor Emeritus during 2009-2010. She is a consultant, national and international speaker, professional writer and voiceover artist in the medical and scientific professions. Through Professional Savvy, LLC, Christine provides professional business marketing services and strategies to oral care companies, professional associations, and dental/specialty practices, speaking presentations at national and global professional meetings and career planning and business development opportunities for dental professionals. Christine has written numerous articles in dental peer-reviewed journals and professional dental hygiene magazines. Christine is a member of many professional dental hygiene and dental organizations. Christine also works part-time as a registered dental hygienist in New Jersey. She received the VIP Division 2011/2012 Professional Woman of the Year for Outstanding Leadership and Commitment with in the Dental Profession from the National Association of Professional Women, the 2009 New Jersey Dental Hygienists’ Association Carol King Award, 2008 Certification as a Dental Editor, 2006 Sigma Phi Alpha Honorary member, a 2005 Recipient of the Pfizer/ADHA Award of Excellence in Dental Hygiene and is a recipient of the Who’s Who in Business and Professional Executives in 2004.