You can't tell by how the mammogram is actually done — your breasts will still be squeezed side to side and top to bottom. This part of the procedure is the same, whether you get a traditional (old-fashioned) analog film mammogram or a digital mammogram.

What's the difference then? The difference is in how the image is captured. Digital mammography captures the image electronically rather than simply on x-ray film. The digital image appears on the technician's computer screen immediately, so she no longer needs to go to the darkroom to develop the film.

How then will you know? Ask. That's the best way to find out.

Next question: Should you seek a facility that has digital technology? I sure would. Digital mammography provides better-quality imaging, clearer views, and allows for electronic storage (so films can't be lost or misplaced).

Digital mammography is especially valuable for women with dense breasts because regular film-captured images of dense breast tissue are filled with so much whiteness that details can be harder to see.

So next time say, "I'd like digital, please!" or "Got digital?"