Why Dental X-rays Are Needed?
There’s a lot going on in your mouth that is not visible to the naked eye, and dental X-rays allow your dentist to see what’s happening below the surface. During general dental examination, taking of X-rays will provide a comprehensive assessment of the health of your mouth.
No visible signs of trouble
Tooth decay can be sneaky – it doesn’t tend to show physical signs of its presence early on. X-rays are an important diagnostic tool that allows your dentist to confirm if you have tooth decay, or if you have any problems such as infection around the roots of the tooth, or bone loss. Spotting it early means your dentist can deal with the problem before it becomes significant.
Safe for everyone
Regardless of whether you’re a child or an adult, you can have X-rays safely taken of the inside and outside of your mouth. The amount of radiation involved is extremely low, and is equivalent to the sort of exposure you’d receive on a 1-2 hour flight. This means that even if you’re pregnant you can have X-rays taken, although they are generally kept to a minimum during this period.
Oh, and that thing about your dentist leaving the room while the X-rays are taken? Nothing to worry about there – they’re taking lots of X-rays all day long and stepping out of the room limits their ongoing exposure to radiation.
Why X-rays are needed
The types of X-rays your dentist will take will depend on the conditions for which you are being assessed. The decision to take an X-ray, and the type of X-ray taken, will be influenced by such things as your past and present oral health, an examination of your mouth, your age, risk of disease and any early symptoms of oral disease.
What can dental X-rays detect?
• Small areas of decay between teeth not visible in the mouth
• Problems with existing fillings, root canals, crowns or bridges
• The presence and severity of gum disease
• Abscesses or other sorts of infections
• Tooth development issues such as malformed teeth, extra or missing teeth etc.
• Cysts and some types of tumours
• Traumatic injuries such as tooth and bone fractures
• Proximity of teeth to nerves and sinuses
• The development of wisdom teeth and if there is a need for them to be removed
• The amount of bone needed for dental implants
If an X-ray shows decay, your dentist will discuss treatment options with you, which may be preventive to slow or stop further progression of the decay, or may involve a filling if there is an actual cavity.
Read the original article here.
More Dental Articles
The Tooth Regeneration of Mice … And Men?
How is it that different tooth replacement strategies evolved? Which mechanisms prevent the replacement of human teeth? Homo sapiens, as we know, are limited to two sets of teeth; the second replaces our deciduous, or “baby teeth”. There are of course reptiles, fish,...
Caring For Older People And Their Oral Health
Since the 1970s, significant research has gone into quantifying the relationship between oral health and general wellbeing. Fifty years has extended this into biomedical and clinical perspectives that build broader understandings. The world population of people aged...
Chalky Teeth: Is the Writing on the Wall?
Chalky teeth. A term coined in 1920 by eminent 19th century physician and dentist Bernhard Gottlieb. He belonged to a group of Viennese scientists who originated orthodontics, periodontics, pedodontics, oral surgery and endodontics. Gottlieb described ‘chalky enamel’...
Surprising Facts About Your Tongue: Beyond Taste, Talking & Kissing
Your tongue consists of the only group of muscles that work without the support of bone, and your tongue print is as unique as your fingerprint. And forget surprising - one of the most shocking facts about the tongue is that you can actually be born without one. More...
