Dental Radiography

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Dental radiography, commonly referred to as “x-rays”, is an absolutely vital diagnostic tool for dentists. X-rays give us the ability to see areas that we would not be able to see by just looking in your mouth.

Not only can x-rays helps us diagnose cavities but they can also help us diagnose possible dental abscess, cysts, and even cancer.

There are two main types of dental radiography technologies. One uses tradition film that include Bitewing x-rays that most folks are familiar with. The other is a Digital Radiograph. At Mountain River Dental we use digital technology.

Digital Dental Radiography Benefits

Digital images have many advantages over standard film including:

• Minimal radiation needed for exposure
• Zoom features making it possible to see the tiniest changes
• Ability to take accurate measurements for things such as root canals or implants
• Transmitting images from one dentist to another
• 3D images helpful for certain proceedures.

Dental Radiography Variations

There are several varieties of x-rays that can be taken all with different purposes. The most common being the Bitewing and the Periapical or PA x-ray.

The Bitewing is usually taken every 6 months with your cleaning and usually taken in a series of 4. They are typically only taken on the back teeth and show several teeth in the same image. They show us the areas between the teeth to help us see if there are any areas of decay. They can also be used for seeing things like bone levels and possible tarter build up to help us diagnosis possible periodontal disease.

Periapical xrays are taken to show the periapical area ( end of the root) of individual teeth. These are usually taken when a dental abscess is suspected or when a root canal or implant is being done.

These types of x-rays are also often required to be taken by insurance companies when major work, such as a crown, is being done on a tooth.

Other less common x-rays include the Panoramic and Cephalometric which allow you to see the whole mouth or skull. These are typically used to view wisdom tooth development or in orthodontics respectively.

Dental Radiography Radiation Levels

In order to keep radiation exposure to a minimum, ask your dental office if they use digital dental radiographic equipment (since it is 10-100x less radiation than traditional film x-rays) and if they use a proper lead shield. This will ensure you are getting the safest, yet still best diagnostic care.