The American Dental Association in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration developed dental x-ray prescription recommended guidelines for dentists. For this reason, dental x-rays are a required and essential component of dental care. Ceph images are taken using a panoramic machine and is most often used by orthodontists during treatment planning for dental braces.ĭental x-rays are a valuable part of a dental treatment plan because they can detect problems not visible during the visual clinical examination. The procedure to take a panoramic dental x-ray requires the patient to rest their chin on a platform while lightly biting into a grooved plastic piece that denotes the center of your mouth and props your mouth open slightly.Ī two dimensional x-ray image that captures images of the entire skull and side profiles. A panoramic x-ray requires specialized equipment that predominantly only by dentist specialists: orthodontists ( dental braces), oral surgeons ( tooth extraction), and periodontists ( gum disease). The image shows the teeth, upper and lower jaws, and surrounding structures and tissues. Full mouth dental x-rays are typically updated every 3-5 years as prescribed by your dentist.Ī two dimensional x-ray image that captures the entire mouth in a single image. Collectively, the dentist is able to check all teeth for presence of tooth decay, check the margins of existing dental restorations, dental abscesses, tissue and/or bone pathology like tumors and cysts, gum disease. Moments later, you’ll be able to view your image on the treatment room computer monitor.Ī full mouth dental x-ray is a baseline x-ray series of bitewings and periapical images. To take a PA, your dental professional will ask you to gently close just enough to hold a piece of plastic in place that contains the digital sensor for a brief second till the dental clinician can press and release exposure button. This x-ray enables your dentist to check for the presence of a dental abscess, tissue and/or bone pathology like tumors and cysts and for gum disease. The image shows the tooth’s roots and surrounding bone structures. BWX’s are considered a series of images and may include either 2,4, or 6 images depending on the patient’s age and number of teeth.Ī periapical dental x-ray is a macro image of a single or multiple teeth. Moments later, you’ll be able to view your images on the treatment room computer monitor. Note: The white areas on the x-ray are dental restorationsīWX x-rays require the patient to gently bite together on a piece of plastic in place that contains the x-ray sensor for a brief second till the dental clinician can press and release exposure button. Frequency or interval for when bitewings are prescribed is determined by an individual’s caries risk factors. These surfaces are highly susceptible to dental cavities and are not visible to the dentist during your visual dental examination. Types of dental x-rays Bitewing dental x-rays (BWX)īitewings, also known as decay detecting x-rays are taken to enable the dentist to look between your back teeth for tooth decay. Digital x-ray images can be easily printed or emailed if necessary and retain original quality.Digital x-ray sensor is more comfortable than the pokey edges of conventional film.Dentist has the ability to superimpose images taken at different times to detect any changes.Digital x-ray images can be magnified, enlarged, and sharpened to enable precise diagnosis.Digital x-rays reduce radiation exposure to patients by up to 80% compared to conventional film packets.When the dental clinician presses the exposure button, digital images are rendered within seconds following exposure on a computer monitor as shown above. The tube head (part of the x-ray machine that sits next to your cheek during an x-ray) innards have been rewired for digital x-rays. Instead, a small, thin digital sensor with rounded corners that is operated using a computer. Dentistry for the Entire Family was an early adopter of this new technology and converted to digital x-rays back in 2004.ĭigital dental x-rays are amazing! No stiff, pokey, cardboard like film packets. Advancements in dental radiology introduced digital dental x-ray technology in the early 2000’s.ĭigital x-rays reduces a person’s exposure to radiation by up to over 80% over conventional methods. “Dental x-ray exams are safe however, they do require very low levels of radiation exposure” (Source: American Dental Association). Dental conditions that often require dental x-rays for definitive diagnosis include Dental x-rays are a diagnostic tool that dentists use to detect conditions and pathology that are not visible during a visual examination.
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