Dental X-rays play a crucial role in detecting issues that would otherwise remain out of sight, such as problems beneath the surface of a tooth or inside the gums. Digital X-rays have now largely replaced film techniques in dental offices, making the procedure safer than ever before.
Digital X-Rays Overview
Digital X-rays produce about 80 per cent less radiation than film X-rays – less than the amount of radiation we are typically subjected to during a normal day.
Sherwood Dental, your Kitchener dental office, employs digital X-ray technology as standard practice to scrutinize individual teeth, and panoramic radiography to view the bigger picture – the entire mouth – in one image.
Besides revealing the state of your teeth and supporting bone, panoramic images also give a view of the condition of the jaw and associated structures and tissues. They are particularly useful in assessing the condition of wisdom teeth, including those yet to surface, and in diagnosing and planning orthodontic procedures.
Digital X-rays are essential in discovering jaw and tooth root problems, gum disease and concealed tooth decay. Detection of these issues at an early stage is essential in formulating an effective treatment plan. For example, if a gum infection like gingivitis is left untreated, it can extend to other areas of the body, including the heart, brain and lungs.
Generating Images from Inside the Mouth
Intraoral X-rays are the most common type of dental radiography. They create images from inside your mouth, giving a detailed picture of teeth and supporting bone structures, which enables your dentist to detect cavities and assess tooth development and root health.
Intraoral camera technology also shows how efficiently the jaw is anchoring your teeth, and can be used to show the patient what the dentist is seeing.
X-Rays That are Taken Outside the Mouth
Extraoral X-rays are taken outside the mouth. They focus on the larger bones in the head, particularly the upper and lower jaw.
Besides monitoring the condition of the jaw joint, extraoral X-ray technology can also identify issues such as an impacted tooth, a problem that occurs when a tooth gets blocked as it tries to push through the gum.
X-Rays Diagnostic and Preventative
While digital X-rays are a diagnostic tool, they can also be seen as part of a preventative course of action, helping your dentist to determine oral issues before they become serious.
Problems that are highly unlikely to be spotted without high-precision X-rays include small areas of decay underneath fillings, infection of bones, and abscesses and tumours.
Kitchener’s dentist Sherwood Dental invests in the best technologies for its clients, and a new patient’s initial consultation with Sherwood Dental will entail an extensive examination including a full suite of digital X-rays.
If you need further advice about the safety of dental X-rays or on other aspects of dental healthcare, contact Sherwood Dental now.
