What is a dental X-ray?
The dental X-ray is basically what we take in a patient's mouth. There are inside-the-mouth X-rays and outside-the-mouth X-rays. Both are dental X-rays. They could be done by a machine that goes around your head and takes an X-ray that will show the bone around the teeth and so on. Or you can get inside-your-mouth X-rays, also dental X-rays, and that will show your teeth.
There's a purpose for each X-ray, and it's supposed to show a certain image. The reason it's done is so we can check what is normal and what is not normal in the structures that you have in your mouth.
When does dentist take dental x-rays?
A dentist takes X-rays when they need to make a diagnosis for the problem that you have or might have.
What is the purpose of dental x-rays?
The purpose of dental X-rays is to see the hard and the soft tissue inside the mouth. Inside the body, we take X-rays so we can see what's going on inside.
What is the difference in different types of dental X-rays?
We already discussed that we have X-rays that go around only teeth. There are different separate types of X-rays like that because there are dental X-rays that show the entire tooth length, and there are X-rays that show just the coronal portion of the tooth with the opposite tooth coronal portion as well. It shows how the teeth match and so on, and if there's any decay in those crowns, the coronal portion of the tooth.
There's also a dental X-ray, like we said, called a panoramic dental X-ray. There's a big machine that goes around your head, and that is there to show the bone area or bone structure around the teeth. It also can show your wisdom teeth, if you have them, if you have them removed. It shows where the major nerves are and so on.
There's another type of dental X-ray, and that is a 3D dental X-ray, because the first X-rays that we discussed are all only in two dimensions. Now there are three-dimensional dental X-rays, and they will show location and proximity to the nerve and so on. If you have a small fracture in the tooth that cannot be seen, it might be picked up on a 3D dental X-ray because it goes all around the tooth.
Are dental X-rays safe?
In today's world, dental X-rays are very safe because the sensors that we use are very, very sensitive to the X-rays. When we do that, the worst part for the body is to have what's called scattered radiation, radiation that is not strong enough to penetrate the body and be caught by the sensor. It is the X-ray that is not strong enough to go through the entire body and gets lodged into the body, and that causes some damage.
Right now, in today's world, we have figured it out, and it is so precise that there's very, very, very little X-ray damage done to the body. Because of that, the equivalent radiation that you get through the entire set of dental X-rays is the same as if you were sitting under the sun for 10 minutes. The sun's radiation would be the same as you getting the full set of X-rays.
Can dental X-ray show periodontal disease?
This means, can a dental X-ray show gum disease? And the answer is yes, because there's disease that you can see on X-ray showing that the patient has lost the jaw bone that's holding the tooth inside, and therefore we know that the person has periodontal disease.
Are dental x-rays covered by dental insurance?
Most dental insurance plans will cover your dental X-ray needs.
When should I schedule dental exam?
You should schedule your dental examination if you haven't had one in the last 6 months. You should schedule your appointment now. If you have your dentist, you can schedule it with them. If not, come see us at Steinway Family Dental Center.
If you’re ready to schedule an exam or would like to learn more about our services, we’d love to hear from you. Call us at (929) 238-9944 or email [email protected]. We look forward to caring for your smile.