Learning More About Dental X-rays at Steinway Family Dental Center
What is a dental X-ray?
An X-ray is basically the rays that penetrate through your skin and find the bony structure, and then there is a reflection of all of that on the sensor or on the screen. Something that we cannot see with the naked eye, but we can see inside the bone, and so on.
When do dentists take X-rays?
Dentists take X-rays whenever they are doing your examination. Once every 3 years is standard to get a full set of X-rays, or once every 6 months, it is standard to get a partial set of X-rays. Also, if someone is coming in pain and we need to see what's wrong with them, we also take X-rays. Usually, people have more questions about how often they should take the X-rays, what type, and if it is safe. That's the different types of X-rays.
What is the purpose of a dental X-ray?
Of course, it's a diagnosis. The more information we have about you or your mouth, the better we can diagnose, and we want a correct diagnosis. Some things are not possible to see with the naked eye. We can look at you, and you may look fine, but when you open your mouth, we can see that some teeth are broken, or there is a small cavity.
However, how deep it goes is not possible to predict yet when the tooth is not broken in half. We would take an X-ray to show us the extent of the decay.
What are the different types of dental X-rays and how are they used?
Depending on the purpose or what we are diagnosing, it could be a small X-ray. That small X-ray will show your teeth either coming together or showing both teeth, the coronal aspect of it, or it can show the entire tooth with the root and the bone around that root. That is one type of X-ray, called periapical. 'Peri' means around, and 'apical' refers to the apexes of the root of the tooth.
There's also a bite-wing. These are the X-rays where they ask you to bite, and it shows the top and bottom teeth on the same image. The bite-wings are the ones where you can see the cavities. With a periapical, when the entire tooth is shown, we can see the roots and if there is a cyst growing at the end of the tooth or if there is some kind of formation in the bone.
Surgeons like to use panoramic X-rays, which go around your head and show most of the teeth, including the jawbone.
There is also a temporomandibular joint X-ray, which shows your side and the relationship between the lower and upper jaw and how they meet at the joint.
Another type is the cephalometric X-ray. Usually, orthodontists take this; it is a side view of your face, essentially a profile, and it also shows the relationship between the upper and lower jaw and how it relates to the entire skull.
There are also three-dimensional X-rays, similar to a CAT scan, which provide slices of the X-rays at different increments. These are used to see where the bone is and how wide it is, especially for implant placement, ensuring enough bone on either side of the implant to select the correct size.
Are dental X-rays safe?
Digital x-rays offer both our dentists and patients a great number of benefits. For patients, digital x-rays have shortened their waiting time in the office, reduced the amount of exposure to radiation, and increased image clarity so dentists can better explain any treatment that would be necessary. This new advancement of technology has improved many aspects of dentistry, but more importantly it has allowed our patients to have a better understanding of their oral health and treatment plan.
The truth is, dental X-rays are very safe. Even though you may think taking 18 or 20 X-rays involves a lot of radiation, it is not something to worry about. A full set of X-rays today, due to the sensitivity of the X-ray sensors, is equivalent to sitting under the sun for about 10 minutes. So, you get the same amount of radiation if you're just tanning for 10 minutes as you would from a full set of X-rays. It is very safe.
Can dental X-rays show periodontal disease?
Perio- means "around," and -dontal is "tooth." Can we see the bone around the teeth? Yes. The X-ray would show that. Therefore, we can tell if the patient has lost a lot of bone and has periodontal disease. That may not be
Digital X-Rays vs. Film X-Rays
Although film has been used for years, Steinway Family Dental Center embraces new technologies like digital x-rays to provide the best dental care to our patients. Film x-rays were always more susceptible to poor lighting, timing, and of course, human error.
Now with digital x-rays, our dentists and dental assistants can manipulate the images on powerful software viewed on a computer. They can zoom-in, improve lighting/exposure, and detail treatments to their patients one on one with little to no waiting time at all. The most useful feature of digital x-rays is the ability to spot any tooth and gum problems much more easily than it may have been with film x-rays.
iCAT Cone Beam 3D Dental Imaging Unit
Steinway Family Dental Center is one of the few dental offices in Astoria, Queens equipped with the iCAT Cone Beam 3D Dental Imaging unit. This powerful machine produces high definition 3D diagnostic images for ultimate treatment efficiency. The iCAT allows our dentists to diagnose and plan a treatment with astonishing accuracy. Our dentists use this technology for dental implant placement, preparing for oral and maxillofacial surgery, periodontics (detecting and treating gum disease), endodontics (root canals), and detecting temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMD).
Are dental X-rays covered by insurance?
It is pretty standard. Even though insurance companies might prefer not to spend money, they have to cover diagnostic procedures. Most insurance companies cover diagnostics, which means all the X-rays you need would be covered. They are not going to give you multiple full sets of X-rays. For example, if you need a full set of X-rays, they would do it once every 3 years because that is the standard of treatment. However, if you need a smaller set every 6 months, they would cover fewer X-rays than in a full set, but they would still cover them. If you're in pain, don't worry. Go see your dentist. It would be covered.
Your dental health matters to us, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. If you’re looking for expert dental care near Queens, NY, call (718) 728-3314 or email [email protected] to learn more. Ready to get started? Schedule your appointment below.