Dental x-rays are very special tools that dentist use when diagnosing dental problems or when determining the health of your teeth and mouth. There are different types of X-rays that children and adults are given when they are at the dentist office.
Children:
A dentist may use X-rays for children in order to see how the child’s teeth are erupting, to count the number of teeth, to see the size and position of teeth that have not erupted yet and to determine if there are any missing teeth or extra teeth that have not erupted through the gums yet. An X-ray may be used to monitor the mouth and teeth if the child had an injury in the mouth area.
During a dental visit the dentist may determine that there is a possibility of dental infection in which case an X-ray may be ordered to see if the dentist is right. A child may need an X-ray to prepare for braces or other orthodontal work. Sometimes the dentist needs to have X-rays taken to identify dental bone diseases or to see cavities or other things that cannot be seen by the naked eye on a dental examination.
Your child’s dentist may decide to do dental X-rays if your child has had many cavities or if the child has had need for dental restorations and is at risk for further tooth decay. Your dentist may suggest a timetable of X-rays every six months to monitor the situation.
There may be factors that influence how often a child needs X-rays such as how well the child brushes and flosses, or if the child has a good diet or a poor one.
There are five different types of X-rays that your child’s dentist may order for your child including bitewing X-rays, periapical x-rays, panoramic X-rays, occlusal X-rays, and orthodontic X-rays.
Dental X-rays are safe for your child to have as long as standard safety procedures are followed. The equipment used to take X-rays eliminates unnecessary radiation and are designed so that the dentist can focus the X-ray beam directly on the specific part of the mouth that needs to be X-rayed. High-speed film is also used that also reduces the amount of radiation the child receives while having a dental X-ray. The child will be draped with a lead body apron or a dental shield will be used to protect the child’s genital area and also to protect the thyroid gland.
Adults:
Dental X-rays also called dental radiographs are very valuable tools for any dentist office and are used to diagnose problems that adults may have with teeth or the jaws.
Radiographs are used to show the dentist where hidden cavities are, where damage to the tooth may be such as cracks and fractures and to reveal problems in the root canal such as an infection or the death of the nerve of a tooth. Other abnormalities can be seen on dental X-rays such as cysts, metabolic and systemic diseases such as lymphoma and Paget’s disease can show changes on X-ray.
Adults who have extensive restoration work, including multiple fillings may need frequent X-rays to check for the presence of dental decay under existing fillings. If an individual drinks a lot of sugary drinks such as chocolate milk, sodas and other drinks like soft drinks or other sugary powdered drinks may also need to have frequent X-rays to catch cavities that cannot be seen on examination.
Individuals with active gum disease or those who have dry mouth also need to have X-rays to check for bone loss and any other signs of dental disease.
Adults can have intraoral radiographs including bitewing, periapical, full-mouth radiographic survey, occlusal, or digital radiographs. Adults can also have extraoral radiographs such as the panoramic radiograph, tomograms, cephalometric projections, sialography, or a computed tomography (CT scanning).
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