x-rays - what is the purpose of the blue holder - someone please answer

[sharon]

I had xrays taken of my front teeth today (trying to get a good shot of the roots) and she used this "gigantic" xray holder or something, i'm not sure what it was. It was blue and round, about 2 inches in diameter. This thing filled up my entire mouth. I really tried to be good about it, but whenever it went too far back in my mouth my tongue would automatically tense up and push it away. (fearful of gagging) She was getting very impatient and told me if I just relaxed it would be a lot easier. Needless to say that was really stupid advice, I'm not going to just relax when she is cramming stuff in my mouth and I am afraid I will gag/vomit. In the end she took the xray (sensor?) out of the blue holder, put it in my mouth and I had to hold it. Xray was then taken with no problem.

So what exactly is this big blue holder for? My mouth is tiny (confirmed by every dentist I have been to) and my tongue is big (confirmed by my doctor). If in the end she got a fine xray without it why would she even need to use it? I've had plenty of xrays before and while I don't like them they have never been this bad. I know I've had that contraption for bite wings but I can't remember if I've had itfor the front teeth or not. In fact I just had xrays yesterday and there was no problem so I don't think could have possibly used that. (I'm visiting several dentists trying to find a new one, someone I am comfortable enough with to do the needed work I need, that's why xrays two days in a row.)

 

[sharon]

Sorry to bump this but does anyone know what the holder is for and why they need it if they can get a perferfectly good xray without it? I have one more dentist to visit before settling in on one of them and now I'm terrified that they too will pull out the ol' blue holder (and also terrified all the radiation I am getting from all these x-rays).

 

[FearfulInMA]

You should not need new x-rays. You should be request a copy of the x-rays to take with you to the new dentist.

 

[Spike 1969]

Hello and welcome.

Im not sure about the blue holder as I've never had one of them used on me, my dentist did once "borrow" my finger to hold the film in place as he knows I don't like frames on the roof of my mouth and the resulting image was pretty clear.

only thing I can think is that it's a nuances of that particular dentist.

 

[gentledental]

The blue object you mentioned is to hold the film. You only insert a small tab about the size of the end of a teaspoon. We commonly use this to provide better accuracy taking an X-ray because it holds the film at the right angle and also shows us where to aim the X-ray camera. You think about it, if the object is inside your mouth, how are we supposed to aim properly in one shot?
Holding the film with a finger is a last resort and reduces accuracy which may then affect the quality of the radiograph and then we may have to retake it causing more radiation exposure to yourself.

 

[sharon]

Well, it sure felt larger than the end of a teaspoon, it was definitely larger than the film. And she kept telling me open my mouth wider so she could get it in but I couldn't open any wider - I really do have a tiny mouth and I really hate going to the dentist.