Dental Digital X-Rays

One of the most important things you can do to keep your teeth healthy is to have regular check ups with your dentist. These checkups usually include a routine cleaning and X-rays. By taking X-rays of the dental region, a dentist can quickly and effectively evaluate the condition of the patient’s mouth. X-rays are a type of energy that travels in waves, and can penetrate solid objects. When a dentist passes X-rays through a patients mouth, the material in the mouth absorbs the X-rays. The dense areas in the mouth like the teeth and the bones absorb more X-rays than the less dense areas like the cheek and gun areas. Because X-rays pass more easily through the less dense areas of the mouth, cavities and portions of the teeth and gums that are damaged show up clearly on the X-ray images.

Depending on a persons age and eating habits, they should have dental x-rays on a regular basis. Because children’s teeth are still developing and are more like to develop problems, children should have x-rays done every 6 months to a year. For a child, X-rays not only help diagnose problems, but they also help monitor tooth development. Adults who have had extensive dental work like fillings and restoration work should also have their teeth checked on a more regular basis. X-rays will help the dentist see whether or not decay is forming below a filling, and may save a patient from a future root canal. People who consume large amounts of sugar through the form of soda, chocolate, sweets, and coffee or tea should also have regular dental exams complete with x-rays. X-rays can also help the dentist diagnose and treat conditions such as periodontal gum disease or xerostomia, a condition that results in a severely dry mouth. Because smoking also increases the risk of periodontal disease, smokers should regularly have their mouths examined.

There are several different types of X-rays that dentists use. Bite-wing x-rays are used to check for decay on the crown or the biting surface of the tooth. These X-rays show the upper and lower part of the tooth from the crown to jaw level. Periapical X-rays are used to show the entire tooth as a whole. These X-rays show not only the crown, but also the part of the tooth called the root which is anchored to the jaw. Occlusal X-rays are used to target tooth development. This type of X-ray shows the entire row of teeth, and helps the dentist or orthodontist determine if the patient is developing any deformities in tooth structure. The newest type of dental X-rays are the Digital X-rays. These X-rays are much more practical for many reasons. With digital X-rays, the dentist no longer has to develop the X-rays in a dark room, because the information is sent directly to a computer and can be viewed on a computer screen. Although the equipment need to take digital X-rays is very expensive, this type of X-ray will eventually save the dentist time in money because the images no longer need to be developed but can be stored and viewed right on a computer screen. Digital X-rays will eventually help dentists to be able to view the patients dental history and progression with the click of a mouse. These will allow older X-rays to be compared to the most recent X-rays, and will allow dentist to make more accurate decisions for treatment and care.
As the dental field continues to develop better ways to treat patients, remember that unless the patient goes to the dentist all of this technology is of no use. Always see your dentist on a regular basis, and seek attention quickly for potential problems.

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