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Interesting History Of Dental X-rays Will Amaze You

Sometimes dentists need to know what’s going on beneath the gum line or want to see the ‘invisible.’ X-rays make this wish a reality by giving doctors the ability to capture the bones and teeth of a person. Interestingly, it took only 14 days after X-rays’ discovery to develop the first film of teeth. This simply shows that some curious dentists have been on the tail of this technology since its inception. Due to their work, the X-rays we use today are easy and safe to use while being comfortable for patients. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss the history of dental X-rays.

The Discovery Of X-rays:

It all started with a German physicist named Wilhelm Röntgen. Back in 1895, he was working with cathode-ray tubes. He noticed that cathode ray tubes emanated mysterious rays that could penetrate the less dense object. Consequently, he was marveled at the ray’s ability to pass through objects allowing them to pass through the skin while being blocked by bones. Soon, he developed images using films and X-rays. Interestingly, the first X-ray he obtained was of his wife’s hand.

Dr. Otto Walkhoff And First Dental X-ray:

Fourteen days after the publication by Röntgen, Dr. Otto tried its application in dentistry. He tried to capture an X-ray of his own teeth, and it took him about 25 minutes of exposure to prepare the image. According to him, the whole process was “torture.” Nonetheless, he was pleased with the results obtained.

More Progress:

Since the discovery of X-ray, many individuals have tried its application in dentistry. The exposure time was significantly reduced to about 10 to 15 minutes. During this time, Dr. Edmund Kells grew particularly fond of X-ray technology, and he was among the pioneers of Dental X-ray technology. He worked with this technology quite zealously and made some improvements and progress as well.

The Unknown Side Effect:

While many dentists and doctors were utilizing the see-through ability of the X-rays, they had to endure its harsh side effects. For example, Dr. Otto began losing hair strands due to over-exposure to X-rays. Similarly, Dr. Kells experienced lesions developing on his left hand after 12 years of working with the technology. However, Dr. Kells wasn’t ready to abandon his research and progress yet, and it all eventually led to irreparable damage to his left.

X-ray Safety Standards Nowadays:

As the health hazards of X-rays became known, dentists and scientists tried to mitigate its effect. In their effort, nowadays, we enjoy comfortable and safe X-ray procedures. We now have a very low exposure time because of fast-forming images. Moreover, dentists urge their patients to wear a lead line apron to prevent damage to any vital organ.

All these preventive measures make taking X-rays a safe procedure. After all, dentistry is centered around your comfort; your safety, and comfort is our priority. This is our ideology at Bayside Dental, where we provide safe and optimum care for all your dental needs. You can call us at 979-330-4113 to learn more about how we can help.

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