Dental X-rays fall into two main categories: intraoral — when the film is placed inside the mouth, and extraoral — when the film is outside of the mouth. Used to detect and diagnosis different dental and medical health concerns, dental x-rays can literally be a life-saver! Problems like tumors and abnormal tissue and bone growths are frequently detected with routine x-rays.
How Does a Dentist Know if a Tooth is Decayed or Infected?
The most common dental x-rays taken are bite-wing x-rays (BW) and periapical x-rays (PA). These are used to diagnose dental decay and infection, and they can safely be taken at regular intervals or when certain symptoms suggest that infection is present. BW x-rays are frequently taken during a routine cleaning and exam appointment as they reveal the entire crown portion of each back tooth – revealing signs of decay that is present between teeth or on the outer surfaces of a tooth.
How are Impacted Wisdom Teeth Detected?
It’s easy to diagnose erupted teeth. Once they’ve broken through gum tissue, they are easily viewed with the naked eye. But monitoring teeth that haven’t erupted yet is much more challenging. A panoramic or panorex x-ray is an extraoral film taken to show the position of wisdom teeth. A panoramic machine rotates around a patient’s head. It captures all your teeth, your jaw joints, sinuses, and jaws. This x-ray reveals the position of unerupted teeth and shows how they are lying in bone. It’s not uncommon to see wisdom teeth lying sideways or pressed up against the roots of another molar – still under gum tissue and sometimes still imbedded in bone. This information is invaluable to a dentist when it comes to recommending the extraction of teeth. With these x-rays, your dentist can easily see the location and position of the tooth and root structure, so he or she can make recommendations and referrals to a specialist with confidence.
What about 3D Imaging?
Cone Beam Technology takes x-ray capabilities to a whole other level. Bite-wing, panoramic, and periapical x-rays are flat two-dimensional images (they’re a picture), and therefore aren’t as versatile in treatment planning or diagnosis. Cone Beam Technology lets a dentist view teeth, bone and other tissue in three dimensions. This provides all the fine details that assist in planning procedures such as implant placement and tooth movement.
