Why do Dayton- and Kettering-area dentists and other dental practitioners take dental X-rays? While getting a dental X-ray done may be an uncomfortable experience for the patient, they provide the dentist with a lot of valuable information. They indicate where tooth decay and cavities are, they warn oral surgeons of the presence of nerves or misshapen teeth and roots, they reveal the location of wisdom teeth, bone loss, and presence of cysts, tumors and supernumerary (extra) and impacted teeth.
They are put to use on a daily basis in most dental practices, and X-ray equipment is found in almost every office.
To get a dental X-ray done, the patient is first made to wear a lead vest; the technician then puts a small container made of cardboard or plastic into the patient’s mouth, gets the position right and then asks the patient to bite on it to keep it in place. The experience is often a painful one, but it takes only a few seconds.
But why the lead vest? Because X-rays involve radiation, experts believe it is best to cover the patient with a protective barrier. Most dental offices offer the latest lead vests that have collars to cover the throat and shield the thyroid gland from radiation. Practically speaking, though, the amount of radiation a dental X-ray produces is negligible and nothing to worry about. Many states have strict guidelines about dental X-ray equipment and practices, which require professionals to use the smallest levels possible in order to obtain high-quality images.
Is there any recommended routine for people to get dental X-rays done? Actually, there are federal recommendations for people with both low and high risks of dental decay to have X-rays taken. The Federal Drug Administration recommends an X-ray every two to three years for people less prone to tooth decay, and once every year or eighteen months for people at higher risk of tooth decay.
Recent progress in the field of dental X-rays includes the use of digital radiography, which completely negates the requirement of cardboard or plastic film plates. This apparatus records electronic images of the patient’s teeth using a considerably lower amount of radiation and replaces bulky folders with a computer hard drive.
Interestingly, the developing trends in body piercing, including those of the lip, tongue, cheek and nose may interfere with the results of an X-ray.
There are quite a few types of dental X-rays that are used for different medical investigations by your Dayton- or Kettering-area dentist. Each type of X-ray concentrates on a different region of the mouth like the jaws, the palate, sinuses and the nasal passages. This is done to comprehensively assess different areas of the mouth that are vulnerable to dental ailments.