Digital & 3D Dental Imaging in Jacksonville, FL

Roughly half of each tooth, and all of the bone that holds it, is invisible to the eye. X-rays show decay between the teeth, infection at the root tips, bone loss from gum disease, cysts, tumors, impacted teeth, and problems under existing fillings and crowns. Most of these are painless until they are advanced. Finding them early almost always means simpler, less expensive treatment, and occasionally it means finding something that matters far beyond your mouth.

Yes. Dental X-rays are among the lowest-dose medical images there are. A single digital dental X-ray is comparable to less than one day of the natural background radiation everyone receives. We use digital sensors, a tightly collimated beam, and modern equipment that further reduces the dose, and we only take images when there is a clinical reason for them. The benefit of finding a problem early is far greater than the very small risk from the image.

It depends on you. The ADA and FDA specifically recommend against fixed schedules. A patient with no history of decay and healthy gums may go two to three years between bitewings; someone with active disease, dry mouth, or a lot of restorative work may need them more often. We decide together, based on your history, your risk, and what we see at the exam.

In February 2024 the American Dental Association, with support from FDA physicists, published updated recommendations stating that lead aprons and thyroid collars are no longer recommended for dental X-rays. Modern digital equipment and a narrow, rectangular beam do a better job of protecting the rest of the body, and shielding can block part of the image and force a retake. If wearing one makes you more comfortable, just ask. We are happy to provide it.

Yes. The ADA’s 2024 recommendations apply to all patients regardless of pregnancy status; the dose to the abdomen from a dental X-ray with a properly collimated beam is negligible. We still take a conservative approach and defer any image that is not needed for a current problem until after delivery. Please tell us if you are or may be pregnant so we can plan together.

A cone beam CT (CBCT) is a three-dimensional X-ray of the jaws that takes a few seconds in the chair. We use it when a flat image cannot answer the question: planning dental implants, evaluating wisdom teeth near the nerve, locating hidden root canals, assessing bone loss, or investigating a cyst or lesion. It uses more radiation than a single small X-ray, so it is never routine; it is ordered for a specific reason and sized to the area we need.

Yes. The NOMAD Pro 2 is FDA-cleared and designed with internal lead shielding around the tube and a backscatter shield in front of the operator. Published dosimetry studies show that with proper technique, the operator’s exposure is a small fraction of the annual occupational limit, well below what dental staff received from older wall-mounted film systems. Our team is trained in its correct use.

No. The intraoral scanner uses light, not X-rays. It is essentially a very fast 3D camera. It is completely safe for everyone, including pregnant patients and children, and can be repeated as often as needed.

Of course. They are yours. We can send digital X-rays, 3D scans, and intraoral scan files to you or to another provider on request. If you have recent images from a previous dentist, bring them or have them sent, and we will use them instead of taking new ones wherever possible.

Six ways.

Digital sensors only. The ADA’s 2024 recommendations call for digital receptors over film because they need far less radiation. We have no film in the office.

Rectangular collimation. The X-ray beam is restricted to the area being imaged, which the ADA panel found protects the rest of the body better than a lead apron does.

As low as diagnostically acceptable. Every image is justified by a clinical question, never a fixed schedule. If a recent image exists, we ask for it rather than repeat it.

3D only when 2D is not enough. Cone beam scans are reserved for situations where a flat image cannot answer the question, exactly as the FDA and ADA advise, and we scan the smallest field of view that will do the job.

Inspected and registered equipment. Our X-ray units are registered with, and inspected under, the Florida Department of Health’s radiation control program, and are maintained to the manufacturer’s specifications.

A trained team. Only licensed, trained team members take images, using positioning and technique that gets the picture right the first time.

Everyone receives a small amount of natural background radiation every day from the ground, the air, and space, about 3 millisieverts (mSv) per year in the United States. Dental imaging is measured against that. These are typical ranges published by radiation safety bodies; the exact number depends on the equipment and settings.

One digital intraoral X-ray (bitewing or periapical): about 0.001 to 0.008 mSv, less than a day of natural background radiation.

Panoramic X-ray: about 0.004 to 0.03 mSv, roughly one to a few days of background.

Small field-of-view dental cone beam CT: roughly 0.02 to 0.1 mSv, a few days to about two weeks of background, about the same as a round-trip cross-country flight or two.

A cone beam scan uses more radiation than a single small X-ray, which is exactly why we use it selectively. When it is the right tool, the information it gives us, such as avoiding a nerve during surgery or catching a lesion early, is well worth it.