Though dentists can detect some oral issues with their eyes, at times, it calls for specialized equipment to see what is going on in the mouth. It's likely that during one or several previous visits to a dental office, you may have seen the dentist request you to undergo an X-ray. It helps to know the cause of your suffering and administer the right treatment. With X-rays, dentists can visualize tooth diseases and the surrounding tissues, which can't be seen with the naked eye.
Not All X-rays are the Same
Not all X-rays at the dentist are the same. They vary based on the cause of your dental visit. The two types of dental X-rays are therapeutic and diagnostics. Therapeutic X-rays are those that are conducted during a standard dental visit for issues such as teeth cleaning or oral exam. A dentist requires these to have a holistic view of your mouth and teeth and from there they can start looking for potential signs of dental issues that need further scrutiny.
Diagnostic X-rays, on the other hand, are needed when a larger dental treatment such as root canal therapy is required. The X-ray captures a comprehensive image of a tooth from the crown to the root. If you require a larger dental procedure like a filling, root canal, or dental implant, you may need additional X-rays to get an image of the tooth plus its surrounding tissues so that a dentist can plan your effective treatment.
What Determines How Often you need Dental X-rays
Dental X-rays are often performed annually even though you need to have more taken each year to help track the progress of a dental problem or recovery after dental treatment. Several factors may dictate the number of times a dentist might need to get X-rays. For instance, your age, new patient, and your oral health status can determine how many X-rays you can get. Children often get more X-rays than adults. Talk to us to discover more about X-rays and when you need them. Our dentist will be pleased to help you.
Though dentists can detect some oral issues with their eyes, at times, it calls for specialized equipment to see what is going on in the mouth. It's likely that during one or several previous visits to a dental office, you may have seen the dentist request you to undergo an X-ray. It helps to know the cause of your suffering and administer the right treatment. With X-rays, dentists can visualize tooth diseases and the surrounding tissues, which can't be seen with the naked eye.