All About Dental X-Rays | Ardas Family Dental
If you’ve been to the dentist before—and if you’re reading this, we hope you have!—you’ve likely had experience with a dental X-ray.
But have you ever wondered why these are taken every year? We’re going to take some time to dive into the facts about dental X-rays!
Types of Dental X-Rays
Dental X-rays have been a safe and effective way for dentists to see the inside of patients’ teeth and mouth for many years. There are two primary types of commonly used X-rays.
Intraoral X-rays are probably what you think of getting when you visit the dentist. They are the most common type of dental X-ray, and they are most commonly administered using bite-wing film units.
Other types of intraoral X-rays include periapical X-rays, which are used to see the roots of the teeth in more detail, and occlusal X-rays, which are larger images that are used to show full tooth development.
Some dental or oral procedures may call for the less common extraoral X-rays. These X-rays are less detailed that intraoral X-rays, and instead focus on the jawbone and on tooth and jaw development. These X-rays are commonly used to identify impacted teeth or temporomandibular disorders.
While traditional X-rays are perfectly safe, modern technology allows for digital dental X-rays. This new technology—which we are proud to offer at Ardas Family Dental—uses even less radiation than traditional X-rays, and provides an instant image, which is easy to electronically enhance!
Why X-Rays Are Important
As we’ve established, dental X-rays are typically taken once per year for healthy patients. But why?
Dental imaging can help your dentist to see your teeth in detail from the inside out. This can help to diagnose problems that are underneath the tooth surface and/or are too small to be caught during the exam.
X-rays can be used to identify the beginning of problems such as impacted teeth, cavities and tooth decay. This is important because these are all issues that can develop into much bigger problems for your dental health and overall health the longer they go untreated!
Digital dental X-rays are one of the many comprehensive services that we offer at Ardas Family Dental. Visit our website to learn more about our dental services!