A mammogram is typically performed in an imaging clinic by a technologist specializing in mammography. The patient is asked to undress from the waist up and wear a gown. The breast is placed on a special platform in the mammography unit and gently compressed between two clear plastic paddles for a few seconds while the X-ray image is taken. Usually, two images are taken of each breast (one from top to bottom and one from the side), and additional views may be taken if there is a need to better evaluate a specific area. Compression helps to flatten and spread out the breast tissue to reduce its thickness, which decreases the necessary radiation dose and improves image quality and detail, making it easier to detect small changes. Some women may feel discomfort or mild pain during compression, but it lasts for a very short duration. There are different types of mammography, including 2D Digital Mammography and 3D Mammography (Tomosynthesis), which provides multiple images from different angles to reconstruct a three-dimensional image of the breast, which can be particularly useful in cases of dense breast tissue.