Chances are you will need dental x-rays from time to time. How many and how often depend on the overall health of your teeth and mouth. If you’re prone to tooth decay, your dentist may recommend dental X-rays annually to identify weak spots and treat them before the decay progresses.
When you start with a new dentist, they are likely to take X-rays to become more familiar with your teeth and any issues you may have. A new dentist might also want your previous dental records in order to have the most complete history of your mouth and dental care.
Teenagers and children often get more X-rays than adults because their teeth, gums, and jaw are still developing. These X-rays are important to spot any potential problems that can be corrected before they manifest like teeth growing in improperly, or deep cavities. Dentists will also take X-rays before invasive procedures like root canals or extractions.
The image you get from an X-ray looks a lot like a photograph negative. This is because the teeth and bones of your mouth absorb more of the ray energy than your gums and other soft tissue.
Decay and infection eat away at teeth so they show up darker than the teeth and jaw, because they, like soft tissue, don’t absorb as much of the ray. This is how dentists use X-rays to identify infections, abscesses and even small cysts and tumors. They also can identify developmental abnormalities, such as impacted wisdom teeth.
Fillings, crowns, veneers, and other previous work appear differently on X-rays, depending on what material they are made of. Some appear darker and other others lighter. Your dentist will be able to tell what these areas are sometimes by simply looking at the X-rays and others by comparing the X-ray with what they physically see when they examine your mouth. No matter what type of dental restoration or implant you have, your dentist can use X-rays to help identify any areas that need attention or adjustment.
At The Dental Centre, everyone, including the dental staff, understands the concerns many people have about being exposed to radiation. The amount of radiation used to expose dental x-rays is actually quite small.
We take every precaution to protect our patients from radiations. At our offices, we use digital x-rays, which have 80% – 90% less radiation. We also use a lead apron to cover the patient’s neck, chest, and thighs and use fast speed films to decrease the amount of exposure. We would never recommend an x-ray without good reason such as determining infection, cavity, bone loss and so on. If you have concerns about dental x-rays, please talk to us.