What are dental X-rays and why do humans need them?
Dental X-rays are just one of the many tools that we use to help us figure out what's going on in your mouth and in your body, see if things are healthy or not, and see if we can do anything to help make you, as a patient, healthier and better.
One of the first things that we might do is just look at things with the naked eye, just do an exam both inside the mouth and outside the mouth. Another thing that we might do is take dental X-rays. Dental X-rays are something that we use. It's an imaging procedure that we do to basically see what's going on underneath the skin and into the middle of the teeth and into your jawbone. And that works by basically shooting X-rays, which are basically a form of energy, and taking basically images or pictures of your teeth, your bone, and the hard tissue.
A lot of times, dental X-rays are taken when we want to see more about what's going on in a specific part of your mouth or in all of your mouth. For example, you might have a toothache or you might have an infection or something bothering you in your mouth, and we can look with our eyes. We can take photos with our in-the-mouth cameras, but sometimes we need to see more. Sometimes we need to see underneath the skin, underneath the gums, and we can't see that with the naked eye. That's where X-rays come into play. They let us see things that are underneath. And sometimes the source of the problem can be seen with a dental X-ray that can't be seen with just our eyes.
That's where dental X-rays are really helpful. The whole purpose of dental X-rays is just to give you a better, or give us a better, sense of what's going on in your mouth. If things are healthy, that's great. We want to see it. And the X-rays will help us to see that because, like I said, they're allowing us to see things that we can't see with just our eyes, our naked eyes. They're really helpful in that sense. If there is an infection or there are cavities or there's something wrong with the teeth or a certain part of your mouth, sometimes dental X-rays can help us see that and help us identify the problem.
What are the most common types of dental X-rays?
One of the most common types of dental X-rays are what we call bitewings and periapicals. Those are just the individual shots that I'm sure you're used to seeing in the dental office. We'll take anywhere from six to 20 or 25 shots of the different teeth, different parts of your mouth, and you'll be able to see your teeth. You can see the roots of the teeth. You can see the bone in and around those teeth. Those are probably the most common.
There are also larger types of dental X-rays. These are called panoramic dental X-rays, which show the entire jaw in one shot. Cone beam CTs are technically a different kind of X-ray that allows us to see and recreate your mouth and your jawbone in three dimensions in the computer. These are not technically X-rays, but rather a type of dental image we use to determine what's going on inside your mouth.
Are dental X-rays safe?
Dental X-rays are very safe. A big reason why they are very safe is that the amount of radiation that's used to take modern dental X-rays has been drastically reduced because digital sensors are much more sensitive than the old-school paper films and plastic films that probably some of you remember using when you were children or maybe even a little bit older than that.
By and large, those paper and plastic films have gone away, and they've been replaced with digital sensors. That's definitely a good thing for you as the patient because we've been able to dial the power of the X-ray machines way down, and the digital sensors are able to pick up and still take the pictures and images that we need with much less radiation. It's definitely very safe for you as a patient.
What can dental X-rays show?
Dental X-rays are really good at showing things that are underneath the bone, underneath the gums, that you can't see with your naked eye. It's also really good for seeing things inside the middle of teeth, which obviously you can't really see past the surface of your teeth normally. X-rays are really good at going deeper, going under, and showing us what's going on underneath the surface because a lot of times, if there is something wrong, if there is an infection or a problem, that will show up in dental X-rays.
Can dental X-rays show periodontal or gum disease?
A lot of times, people ask about X-rays showing periodontal or gum disease. And the answer is yes! Because gum disease is basically when you have an infection underneath your gums and in the bone surrounding the teeth, a lot of times, one of the most common symptoms of that is bone loss, so a loss of the bone structure that's around your teeth.
And so, when we take X-rays, we can often show the extent of bone loss or the presence of bone loss in the bone structure surrounding the teeth. You'll see it basically: there's less of the bone, or the shape of the bone will be different, and there'll be areas where there's less bone than there should be or used to be in a particular area of your mouth.
Are dental X-rays expensive?
A lot of times, people ask if dental X-rays are expensive. I would say, for the most part, they are generally very reasonable. A lot of times, dental X-rays can be covered by insurance depending on your plan and whether or not you've had dental X-rays taken recently.
Are dental X-rays covered by insurance?
Most of the time, dental x-rays are covered by dental insurance. A lot of times, that does depend on if you've had dental X-rays before or within a specific time period.
However, you have to keep in mind that sometimes, if dental X-rays were taken most recently or within a certain time period, they may not be covered by the insurance. Also, a lot of it depends on the specific insurance that you have. I will say, by and large, most insurances do cover X-rays, but it's definitely not 100%, and there are some other pieces of information that we do have to gather in order to make sure that the dental X-rays are covered. Either way, we are going to do our best to get the most accurate and complete information so that you have the information you need in order to make a decision.
If you haven't had a dental exam within six months, I would say it's a good idea to get one as soon as possible.
Why are dental X-rays important for your health?
I think the most important thing is to remember that they are a very important and vital part of diagnosing your mouth and your health. We definitely need them to be taken in order to give you a complete picture of your overall body health and your oral health.
What should you do if you have questions or need an exam?
If you’re ready to schedule an exam or would like to learn more about our services, we’d love to hear from you. Call us at (916) 848-2145 or email [email protected]. We look forward to caring for your smile.