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Dental X-rays help find and treat dental issues early in development. Finding and treating oral problems early in their progression can help you:
Dental X-rays are often necessary if you need orthodontic treatment. General dentists and other healthcare providers use them to check the conditions of your mouth area. This includes:
If you visit a new doctor, you'll probably undergo a dental X-ray on your first visit. This helps them improve the quality of their dental practice and provide you with personalized oral care.
The two main types of X-rays in dentistry are intraoral and extraoral X-rays. Intraoral X-rays refer to when the X-ray film is in the mouth. Extraoral X-rays have a film outside the mouth.
Intraoral X-rays are the more popular of the two types of dental X-rays. Intraoral X-rays offer much detail about the teeth.
Dentists use intraoral X-rays to do the following:
There are several types of intraoral X-rays, each displaying various aspects of the teeth:
Bitewing X-rays display details of the upper and lower teeth in a mouth area. Every bitewing scan shows a tooth from its crown to around the level of the supporting bone.
Bitewing X-rays detect tooth decay, bone loss, and adjustments in bone density due to gum disease. They also help assess the best fit of a crown or cast restoration.
Occlusal X-rays are more extensive scans that display full tooth development and placement. Every X-ray shows the complete arch of the teeth in either the upper or lower jaw.
Occlusal X-rays discover extra teeth, jaw fractures, a cleft palate, cysts, dental abscesses, or growths. They also find foreign objects lost in the mouth.
Periapical X-rays reveal the entire tooth from the crown down to where the tooth anchors in the jaw. Every periapical X-ray displays this full tooth dimension.
It also shows all the teeth in one portion of the mouth, either in the upper or lower jaw. Periapical X-rays assess any teeth root abnormalities and the surrounding bone.
Extraoral X-rays also show teeth. But unlike intraoral X-rays, they focus on the jaw and skull.
Extraoral X-rays don’t present in-depth details, so they don’t help find cavities or identify issues with individual teeth. Instead, dentists use extraoral X-rays for the following:
There are a few types of extraoral X-rays available, including:
A panoramic X-ray reveals the whole mouth area. This type of X-ray identifies impacted teeth, shows your wisdom teeth' progression, and helps diagnose tumors.
A tomogram X-ray displays a specific layer or ‘slice’ of the mouth while softening the focus on all other segments. This X-ray helps to assess structures that are difficult to observe.
This type of X-ray displays the complete side of the head. Cephalometric X-rays examine the teeth concerning the jaw and your profile. Orthodontists commonly use it in diagnosing malocclusions.
After injecting a special dye called a contrast medium into the salivary duct, a sialography X-ray scans the salivary glands. The pigment shows your salivary glands, soft tissues that aren't normally visible on an X-ray. This procedure detects issues like blockages or Sjögren's syndrome.
A computed tomography X-ray, or CT scanning, displays the body’s interior structure as a three-dimensional scan. It assesses issues related to the facial bones, including tumors and fractures.
CBCT shows a three-dimensional image of the face and jaws. It's more common in dentistry than CT scanning.
Because it requires smaller, less expensive technology than an X-ray machine, many dentists offer CBCT imaging in their private practices. CBCT images are advantageous in planning dental implant placement, complicated extractions, and complex root canals.
Doctors only perform dental X-rays when necessary. They’re not dangerous, but minimizing radiation exposure is always best. However, this varies by circumstance.
How often you should take X-rays depends on various factors, including:
Some require dental X-rays every six months. Those with regular dental problems may need to take them more often. However, others with no history of dental or gum disease may only require a dental X-ray every few years.
Children should have fewer X-rays than adults because they’re less radiation-resistant. They shouldn't have a dental X-ray more than once annually. However, once a child shows a higher risk for cavities, more X-rays may be necessary.
Dental X-rays are crucial in keeping your dental health in optimal condition. They provide valuable insights often not visible during a regular dental examination.
Some benefits of dental X-rays include:
Dental X-rays can reveal problems that dentists can't see with the naked eye. They're beneficial in identifying dental issues at their earliest stages. This helps minimize the extent of damage so you can prevent costly and invasive procedures.
Dental X-rays provide dentists with a comprehensive view of your mouth. They help assess and identify specific needs and risks. This leads to better and more precise treatment plans tailored to your unique oral health.
Dentists refer to Dental X-rays to plan for your treatment. The X-rays provide detailed images of the teeth, roots, and surrounding structures. This helps the dentist plan and execute the procedure more safely and accurately.
X-rays serve as a record of your oral health over time. Dentists can use your regular dental X-rays as a baseline for comparison for future visits. It can help them track whether a procedure works or yields the desired changes.
Dental X-rays are very safe. While they work with radiation, the exposure levels are so low that they won’t harm children and adults.
However, like with any treatment, repeated exposure has some potential risks. These include:
If you’re concerned, there are ways that your dentist can minimize the exposure to radiation from dental X-rays, including:
Dental X-rays don’t require much preparation. All you need to do before meeting a dental professional is brush your teeth before the examination. This offers a cleaner and more hygienic space for the dentist to examine your mouth.
Dental X-rays are essential in diagnosing and preventing oral health issues. While radiation captures them, dental X-rays are safe, and the risks of harm are minimal. Receiving X-rays from professionals with proper experience will help guarantee your safety during the procedure.
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