Why Routine Dental X-Rays Are Essential
Thanks to a vast array of specialised equipment like dental intra-oral cameras, mouth mirrors and magnification, your dentist or hygienist can see a lot of detail inside your mouth quite clearly. Yet there are many parts of your mouth which are invisible.
Some of the hidden areas inside your mouth are under fillings, between the teeth, the area deep inside tooth grooves, below the gums and inside the jawbone. These areas are not visible in any way and can't be examined using magnification, light or probing.
In order to properly inspect these areas, the dentist or hygienist uses dental x-rays. These can be helpful in revealing quite a lot of information about the hidden areas of your mouth. The dentist is now aware of the extent of
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Those who have a family history of tooth loss and gum disease need to have regular check-ups done in order to diagnose and monitor their disease. While the dentist and hygienist will examine the gums using a periodontal (gum) probe to record certain details, only with xrays will they have a complete picture of the status of the gums and the progression of the gum disease.
Professional Dental Associations have established the convention to take x-rays once every two years or even more often if a patient's dental history suggests they are experiencing a high rate of decay or gum disease. Some x-rays like the 'panoramic film' are taken only once in 3 to 5 years- these monitor teeth development and eruption (important for orthodontics), the presence and amount of impaction of wisdom teeth, and the presence of pathology within the jaw bones.
Dental x-rays are an essential diagnostic tool that your dentist and hygienist will recommend for people of all ages. If you have any questions about the use of dental x-rays, or the frequency of their use, be sure to ask any member of your dental team.
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Dental hygienists play an important role in the dental care facilities since they apply their knowledge on every case by removing tartar, stains, and plaque from teeth. They are in charge of applying sealants and fluorides to the teeth in order to protect them, they take and develop x-rays which helps them determine the patient 's vocal health and then present all this information through a report for the dentists to see. Once they have documented the patient 's care, they begin a treatment plan for each patient. They also educate their patients about the oral health and techniques they should apply and how to brush and floss the teeth accurately. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016-17, p.2) Dental hygienists apply critical thinking, compassion towards their patients, interpersonal skills, and dexterity while on their jobs and are supposed to be very detail oriented since they work on small parts of the body and need precise use of the tolls. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016-17, p.4).
1. Ordinary X-Rays can show a wide variety of things such as bones, teeth, bone fractures, and other abnormalities of bones and other things in the body.
Screening measures include oral cancer screening and periodontal charting. Some dental hygienists also check blood pressure and pulse. If needed, they will take x-rays before beginning the routine cleaning, which involves scaling and polishing the teeth. A patient that displays periodontal disease, however, may need a deep cleaning, called scaling and root planning. Once the cleaning is complete, the dental hygienist will give instruction on how the patient can correctly care for problems in their oral health.
Lots of people know that dental cleanings are crucial for having clean teeth, but what many don’t know or realize it 's that it is also crucial for having a healthy mind as well as a healthy body. For being such a frequently visited place, there are lots that people do not know about. Here I will present you with what you should know, the process of, and what to expect on your next dental cleaning visit. Lots of people see the mouth as something completely separate and different from the rest of their body. The reality is that everything is connected to each other. Having problems in your mouth can cause or indicate diseases in other
All of our X-rays are digital, using 90 percent less radiation to get an even more accurate image of your mouth. And we use ViziLite Plus, which uses ultraviolet light to help detect signs of oral cancer.
As with any dental procedure, Dr. Thomas Peltzer will want to initially conduct a thorough examination of the wisdom and surrounding teeth. Panoramic or digital x-rays will be taken in order for Dr. Peltzer to evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth and determine if a current problem exists, or the likelihood of any potential future problems. The x-rays can also expose additional risk factors, such as deterioration or decay of nearby teeth. Early evaluation and treatment (typically in the mid-teen years) is recommended in order to identify potential problems and to improve the results for patients requiring wisdom teeth extractions. Only after a thorough examination can Dr. Peltzer provide you with the best options
If necessary, we’ll take your X-rays. Otherwise, your examination will consist of gum measurement, DIAGNOdiagnodent cavity detection, and VELalscope cancer screening. After your examination, we will consult with you about our recommendations and your concerns, and come up with a treatment plan based on both.
PA X-rays provide a visual of assessment of tooth and supporting bone structure, detect abnormalities in an area of teeth from the crown to where the root is anchored to the jaw. This is performed to find abnormalities in root structure and surrounding bone.
Panoramic X-Ray: These 2D X-rays give a flat but complete view of your teeth. At Donaldson 3D Orthodontics, we use advanced digital tools to create a 3D panoramic image of your teeth, giving us not just a look at your teeth but also at their positions.
If any suspicious lesions are found by the dentist or hygienist, he or she will refer the patient to an oral surgeon. The oral surgeon is a dentist and medical doctor who reviews the case of his referred patients and
Dental x-rays can tell the dentist everything from decay on a tooth, to bone loss. Which is important especially in pregnant women because nearly 40% of pregnant woman have some type of periodontal disease. This is because when you become pregnant many things are happening to your body, and many changes are happening, one of those changes happen to be going on in your gums, causing the percentage to be higher among pregnant women versus women who are not pregnant. This percentage also goes up if you are a smoker,because smoking weaken the immune system. It is increased if you are African American, because of genetics. It is also increased if you have poor dental coverage, because you are less likely to go to the dentist if you dont have dental coverage or if your dental coverage isn’t the best.. If you chose to not get the x-ray, the dentist will most likely not treat you as they are not able to accurately diagnose a problem without an
Since the inception of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948, regular six monthly check ups at the general dental practice have been common (REF). However the patient should not have radiographs taken routinely based solely because of time elapsed since previous examination. X-rays should only be taken after a thorough clinical examination and would be justified after a caries risk assessment was undertaken with the patient categorised as being high, moderate or low caries risk (REF).
If you have ever been to the dentist, then you know that they take x-rays. You also probably know that x-rays are a routine procedure. But do you know why dentists take them? If not, here are five reasons a dentist will take an x-ray of your mouth:
Phinney and Judy H. Halstead claim, “Impacted teeth, abscesses, supernumerary teeth or disorders of the temporomandibular joint can be determined from the panoramic film” (593). Donna J. Phinney and Judy H. Halstead observes that teeth that have not yet erupted, infections at the roots of the teeth called abscesses, and extra teeth are all classified as hidden structures. It is vital that the dentist catches these structures early on because it can lead to complications in the future. Through the use of x-rays, dentists are able to find these structures with a panoramic film that shows the surrounding sinuses and any abnormalities. In the article An Endodontic Necessity, states that “ ... the dental pulp, the periodontal ligament and the bone surround the tooth. These three structures are impossible to visualize clinically during your exam”(Andrew Stubbs par.1). In Andrew Stubb’s view, is it is simply impossible for the Endodontist, or doctor that specializes in the dental pulp, to even begin to do their job thus why taking radiographs are a must. The pulp is hidden inside the tooth and is not visible during an
There are many advantages of x-rays in dental radiation. We can use the x-rays to detect and confirm any diseases or lesions that may be in the mouth. They detect any trauma that may have happened to the teeth and or gums. We use x-rays to look and study the growth and development of teeth and gums in children and adults. With the advancement of the x-ray we can also detect any tumors, teeth that are missing or are coming in at an abnormal direction as well as educating the patients about their mouth and teeth.