What is the Purpose of Regular Dental X-Rays?

At your next dental appointment, your dentist might ask to take some x-rays. This is a very common practice, and will help give your dentist a better idea of what is going on in the parts of the teeth they cannot see with the naked eye. X-rays are also called radiographs, and they use low levels of radiation to take pictures of the interiors of your teeth and gums.

X-rays are usually performed yearly, and as it is advised that patients attended dental visits every six months, it is likely that you will have an x-ray taken every other time you go in. You might need to have one more often if your dentist is tracking a previous treatment. Other factors that could increase the frequency in which you require x-rays are your age, current oral health, past symptoms of oral disease, and a history of tooth or gum decay. New patients must take x-rays if there is a lack of access to recent ones taken by a previous dentist, so your current dentist can properly treat your teeth.

There are several different types of dental x-rays:
•    Bitewing: requires you to bite down on a thin piece of paper, which allows your dentist to see if the crowns match up, and for interdental cavities.

•    Occlusal: done with your jaw closed in order to see how the upper and lower teeth line up.

•    Palatal: This technique captures all of your teeth in one shot.

•    Panoramic: Employs a machine that rotates around your head. Used for checking wisdom teeth, planning for dental devices to be implanted, and investigating jaw problems.

•    Periapical: Takes an image of two teeth, from their roots to their crowns.

Contact our West Hollywood dentist for more information.