Digital X-Rays Explained
Panoramic X-Ray:
Is one X-ray that provides a full picture of your whole mouth- complete upper and lower jaw; sinuses and jaw joint. It is not as specific as the other X-rays because its purpose is to show the general condition of all the teeth. It is used to help view- general tooth development; trauma; jaw joint pain; wisdom teeth, bone loss and certain abnormalities. It will give a broad view but does not provide the fine detail that Bite-Wings or P.A.s provide. This X-ray is to be taken every 3-5 years.
Adult
Child
Bite-Wings:
Are a type of X-rays that allow us to obtain view of specific teeth. They show the crowns and part of the root of 2 or 3 your teeth and the immediate surrounding bone level. They are called Bite-Wing because the X-ray film holder provides a surface for you to bite down on in order to hold the X-ray securely in place.
They are used to help detect cavities in between the teeth; bone loss to evaluate periodontal conditions and to determine the quality of previous dental restorations (i.e. filling). It is recommended to take these yearly.
Periapical X-ray (P.A.):
Are used to provide images of the entire tooth from crown to root tip. They are utilized to display the root, cysts, abscesses, etc. that are involved with toothaches. We can use them to also check bone level around teeth and to evaluate bone loss that is caused by periodontal disease.
They can also be used to assess existing dental work. These X-rays give fine details that are extremely important in diagnosis. It is taken only when necessary to aid in diagnosis of a particular condition.
So, as you can see no matter how much our team of doctors checks your mouth there are still things they can NOT see without the use of X-rays. They are a vital and necessary part of your dental diagnostic process. Without them certain conditions can and will be missed.
Many diseases would go undetected for a long period of time if only the patient allows visual examinations. Thus early detection of diseases such as cancer, diseases of the jaw and teeth would be difficult to determine and could otherwise go completely undetected causing you to possibly need drastic treatments in the future which could have been avoided through early detection by a simple X-ray.
Your history of dental X-rays can also prove very helpful in tracking the effectiveness of treatment and for future comparison especially if you have a dental emergency. In addition they are valuable in diagnosing developmental problems in children such as misalignment and improper eruption of adult teeth. Dental X-rays are one of the tools we need to use to get a COMPLETE picture of your dental health.
