Dental X-rays help dentists to figure out what is going on beneath your gums. X-rays go through things that normal light cannot, which sheds light on things that can’t be seen with the human eye. Taking an X-ray is a crucial part of your dental exam because it allows dentist to take a closer look at your oral health to make sure that nothing is missed or overlooked.
How do X-rays work?
X-rays provide a special type of light that can travel through your skin and bounce off of any metal target. The calcium in your bones is considered a metal target and allows X-rays to produce a picture that can clearly outline your bones and some of your tissue. This information is important to dentists because it allows them to take a look at the inner structure of your teeth and mouth.
What can dental X-rays tell you?
Dental X-rays can tell you a lot about your mouth and teeth. Below are just a few aspects of your health that X-rays shed light on, X-rays can help:
- Visualize disease around teeth and surrounding tissue
- Detect and treat dental problems early on, reducing costs for the patient
- Show the decay around your teeth or underneath fillings that may be missed by the human eye during a dental exam
- Reveal infection or bone loss
- Monitor how permanent teeth are growing for kids
- See tumors or cysts
- Check for cavities or oral health concerns
- Observe wisdom teeth as they grow
When do you require get X-rays?
How often you need X-rays depend on your dental history and your current health. If you have good oral health, you do not need to have X-rays as often as if you had oral health concerns that have to be monitored. It can depend on your age as well.
Some people have to get X-rays done every 6 months, and some people may only need it every couple of years. If you visit a dentist for the first time, they may take X-rays as part of a new patient dental exam. Ask your dentist how often you should be having X-rays during your next dental visit so you can carefully monitor your oral health.
If you have any further questions about X-rays, visit a 123Dentist.com location today! We would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
