Photo of Dr. August de Oliveira

Dr. August de Oliveira is widely recognized for his use of digital dental technologies and often tapped as an expert resource. Between seeing patients at his busy private practice in Encino, Calif., and traveling to industry events, Sirona caught up with Dr. de Oliveira to talk about digital radiography. 

Sirona: How can digital radiography improve dentistry?

Dr. de Oliveira: It can elevate practice efficiency, improve image management capabilities, and address the common radiation concerns associated with film, like ongoing costs, maintenance and time. 

Sirona: What are some immediate benefits dental practices can gain?

Dr. de Oliveira: You no longer need to invest in film processing chemicals or worry about disposing them after use. This alone has helped my practice generate significant cost savings. Digital patient records make file management much simpler. Eliminating film processing can also provide more space; we turned our old darkroom into a storage closet. 

Sirona:  How does digital imaging impact diagnostics?

Dr. de Oliveira:  Digital images offer great resolution and are highly detailed. We often combine our images from the Schick 33 sensor and the GALILEOS ComfortPLUS to draw better correlations; the combination of high-quality 2D images and vivid 3D images makes our diagnostics more exact. 

Sirona: Tell us how patients perceive digital radiography.

Dr. de Oliveira: Given the culture of the Los Angeles and Hollywood areas where my practice is located, our patients seem to be generally more health-conscious than most. A lot of local practices strive to be “green,” whether that means moving to paperless practice management or adopting digital technologies. I’ve noticed that most of my patients not only expect me to use digital radiography, but place a high value on the fact that it reduces the amount of radiation exposure. They also appreciate the shorter appointment times, the simplicity of digital files and, of course, accurate imaging.

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