# Dental Digital Xrays **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111 "2024-04-10T19:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/21 "2024-04-11T18:52:29Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > > [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > > > If it’s not true, then I need to escalate, and I will be more unhappy with this practice. > > If you haven’t already, you could try going to the office with a flash drive and ask them to copy your images with the viewer on it. Make it easy for them.   They’d be foolish to allow that. Flash drives are a vector for all sorts of cyber nasties. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/22 "2024-04-11T19:01:05Z")
I offered to bring blank optical media for them to use but they said they didn’t need it. Besides, they could simply copy the original JPG files that they’ve already emailed to me. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/23 "2024-04-12T01:14:42Z")
I guess the question is, have you just flat out asked them specifically for the viewer? I wouldn’t assume any understanding of what you want on their part. Tell them (politely 😀) exactly what you want (if you haven’t already), then see where it goes. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/24 "2024-04-12T01:25:08Z")
Are there any dentists on the board? I feel like dental x-rays aren’t super high resolution, and the jpeg may be what they have. This post > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > So it seems that you are overestimating the resolution that the x-ray machines work at. Is kinda what i would expect. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/25 "2024-04-12T01:37:57Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I feel like dental x-rays aren’t super high resolution They definitely don’t seem to be. For instance [this](https://www.tdsc.com/All-Categories/Dental-Supplies/Digital-Technology/Digital-X-Ray-Sensors/DEXIS-Titanium-Digital-X-Ray-Sensor/p/290031-1?q=&productListName=Category%20Page&dimension8=&pageRef=CATEGORY) $8,000 sensor is 1623 x 1324, and [this](https://www.tdsc.com/All-Categories/Dental-Supplies/Digital-Technology/Digital-X-Ray-Sensors/SOPIX-2-Size-1-Digital-Sensor/p/290038-1?q=&productListName=Category%20Page&dimension8=&pageRef=CATEGORY) “sign in for price” one is 1024x768. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/26 "2024-04-12T01:48:13Z")
All that they have sent me are JPGs. Don’t need a viewer for those. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/27 "2024-04-12T01:56:11Z")
Also, the JPGs that they sent have no EXIF data at all. Wouldn’t another dental pro need to know which teeth are being imaged, when the images were captured, radiation level and such? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/28 "2024-04-12T01:58:45Z")
I imagine they can tell which teeth were being imaged by looking at them. They probably want an approximate date. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/29 "2024-04-12T02:23:19Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I’m suggesting that a technical profession isn’t necessary likely going to send information in the same way to a patient that they are to share information with another professional in that specialty. I’m suggesting when an individual says “I want a copy of those x-rays for my records”, they want a printed image or jpeg much more often than they want a CD containing a special program for viewing a file in a custom interface filled with specialized technical jargon. If the patient said “I want a copy of my x-rays sent to my new doctor”, _then_ I would expect them to send the technical version. I would assume that, if a patient asked for a copy of any of their own medical records, that they would want the actual medical records, that they could then forward on to any other practitioner at their own convenience. You own your medical records, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/30 "2024-04-12T02:37:54Z")
It’s exasperatingly hard to get your own medical records. They’ll block you anyway they can. Pitch a loud cat fit. In the office. Good luck ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/31 "2024-04-12T03:08:11Z")
I haven’t gotten to a loud fit stage yet. I wanted to make sure that the X-ray images that they sent me are not the images that they would send to a different dental pro. I’ve asked this question at different “Ask The Dentist” sites but I haven’t gotten any answer yet. I thought the the SDMB would have at least a few dental pros. I’ve been thinking about going to a new dentist and ask them about this. If I can get a definitive answer, I’ll probably send a Certified letter to the old practice and ask them for the real image files. THEN I’ll pitch a fit if they don’t cooperate. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/32 "2024-04-12T03:18:06Z")
We have a dentist on the board but I’m not positive of the name - is it @rsat3acr? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/33 "2024-04-12T03:49:50Z")
Yes. That’s him. He posted in the OJ thread. So he’s around today. “Paging the Dentist…” ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/34 "2024-04-12T04:38:10Z")
Now that the thread has gone on, I’m not really sure what you want. Do you want (1) that if you change dentists, the now one will get what they need to adequately take over your care? If so, you can be reassured that, yes, insofar as imaging goes, they’ll get what they need, notwithstanding that, as a new patient, they’ll probably just do some intake imaging anyway. If (2) you want full access to the images and the viewer for your own purposes, then that’s probably out of the customary distribution process for the office, and they might not have a spelled-out way to deal with it. In that case , I’d suggest just asking them for what you want, being polite and specific. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/35 "2024-04-12T04:53:17Z")
Sorry if I haven’t been clear. I want some confirmation that the JPG files that they sent are or are not of “diagnostic” quality. I want to know if these files would or would not be the exact files that they would send to another dental office. I suspect, but don’t know that the files that they sent are NOT “diagnostic” quality and would not be sent to another pro. I want the imagery for myself, and I did ask them politely and specifically. See my question and the answer that they sent back in my 3rd post above. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/36 "2024-04-12T05:47:29Z")
You can’t know til you know. If they do more imaging and X-rays at the new dentist your insurance may not pay again if they were done recently. Doctors offices(dental included) are not wont to provide these detailed records. I don’t know why. I mean it’s your person they are writing about and taking pictures of. I’ve had many doctors and lots of facial and dental reconstruction. I’ve had to fight for records. Everytime, I’ve asked. It started with me just being in a hurry for an MRI disc. To prevent another doctor from ordering a new one. It wouldn’t have had time (the physical disc) to get to the new doctor and they just went kinda psycho about it. I explained and begged and had the new doctors office call them and tell them just hand it to me. Nope they wouldn’t do it. I had to miss the appointment and wait 3 mos. for another. Got the disc in my mail a week later after I threatened them. My paper records or any transcribed ones have never been released. Jerks. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/37 "2024-04-12T20:07:52Z")
I am here. I won’t be of much help however. I know how stuff works in the chair not the front desk. Many years ago when I had my own practice we still copied the radiographs in the dark room if someone wanted them. Where I work now as an employed dentist, they put the radiographs and records on a CD. I know nothing of things like formats. Every office I know either e-mails or puts the radiographs on a CD. I can’t speak for medical records or for other states but in Texas, the dentist or as in my case the corporation owns the records and radiographs. The pt is entitled to the content but not the record. With electroic records this isn’t a big deal but back in the day some folks thought they should get the original paper records and physical radiographs not just copies. Additionally the state sets the limit on what a dentist can charge for records. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/38 "2024-04-12T21:05:08Z")
Understood. Thanks for your input! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/39 "2024-04-12T22:51:01Z")
Do you know what they look like, and how much resolution the image has? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111/40 "2024-04-13T01:04:06Z")
The only stuff I know about computers etc is what I have to do on a daily basis. Anything else I have no clue. Don’t know anything about resolution. On radiographs I know about the pictures for diagnosis, things like if the contacts are open or the assistant missed the apex. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-digital-xrays/1000111.md?page=1)