Dental x-rays, more important than you think!

Dental x-rays, more important than you think!

March 6, 2020 10:43 am Published by

At Drs. Nicolas & Asp, our team of Dentists always wants to provide the best possible dental care to our patients, but a visual examination isn’t always enough. Thanks to dental x-rays, our dentists can accurately see and diagnose any dental finding at a very early stage. 

Valuable Diagnostic Tool:

Dental X-rays, also called dental radiographs, give your dentist the ability to see structures and tissues not visible to the naked eyes.  Dental x-rays are number one tool to detect/evaluate  

  • Extent of caries 
  • Bone loss 
  • Presence of Pockets 
  • Space in between the teeth
  • Tip of the roots 
  • Bone underneath of the gums
  • Presence of cysts, abscesses, oral masses
  • Congenitally missing teeth
  • Positioning of Wisdom teeth 
  • Jaw Positioning 
  • Teeth alignment 
  • Space available VS Space needed in mixed dentition

How often are X-rays needed?

There is no particular plan for each and everyone, as oral health varies, and as a result, your dentist will evaluate your needs and accordingly recommend an X-ray schedule. If you’re a new patient, the dentist might advise taking a full series of X-rays of your mouth or a panoramic image instead to assess your current oral health state. This is very important to have a baseline going forward in the treatment. During your regular checkup visits, fewer X-rays will be needed to monitor the status of your oral health.

Dental X-rays Safety:

 A lot of patients do not like x-rays, thinking it’s not 100% safe. However, nowadays dental X-ray machines are designed in a way that helps minimize radiation; these processes are completely safe and exposure is negligible. Digital X-rays for example have greatly reduced the radiation exposure. Not to mention of course the other measures taken, as per the American Dental Association (ADA) we have leaded aprons in all our dental rooms to cover the abdominal area and a leaded collar to protect the thyroid. It’s also very important to always let your dentist know if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding to take further precautions. 

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