How bizzare it feels now to look back on the days our dental practice made use of photographic film x-rays. This will be something that in the future every dental professional will reminisce about with a chuckle, much like 8-track tapes in cars of the past. Actually, that’s if you can recall 8-track tapes. Maybe I should reference cassette tapes. I guess they used to be ground-breaking technology in the world of music.
Dentists have worked with photographic film x-rays since the 19th century. They were not the best option but there was a lack of alternatives. Remember how that big piece of cardboard that kept the film in place was dry and made you feel nauseated? Additionally, the sides hurt your gums. Remember how the dental assistant performed the x-ray and then you would have to wait while they developed it in chemicals that were later discarded, contaminating the clean water cycle? At times, they dried the x-ray films, while other times the films just remained wet. Then, if the x-ray was decent and didn’t have to be taken a second time, you and the doctor would have to squint at this teeny piece of film. The dentist would try to identify decay or other problems, but you wouldn’t be able to see it. Personally, I am thankful that out-of-date tool has been replaced by forward-looking practices such as Dental Corner.