Dental Radiographs/X-Rays
Are x-rays really necessary?
Radiographs (x-rays) are a vital and necessary part of your child's checkup. Without them, certain dental conditions can and will be missed. There are more things to look for than cavities, such as cysts, abscesses, the progress of dental development, and the future orthodontic concerns of your child.
The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend radiographs and complete examinations every 6 months for children with a high risk for tooth decay. At the first examination appointment, our office may obtain a baseline set of x-rays to determine the current status of your mouth, and to check for any hidden problems.
X-rays allow our dentists to diagnose and treat conditions that cannot be detected during a visual clinical examination. If dental problems are found and treated early, dental care is more comfortable and more affordable for you.
For young children, our dentist may first do a complete visual examination and advise you if any decay is seen. This can be done because the primary teeth often do not touch, and our dentist can see and feel all of the surfaces the tooth. If decay is visually detected by our dentist, x-rays will need to be taken to determine the extent of the decay and to determine the correct treatment plan for your child.
There are many diseases and dental defects, which can not be seen by the naked eye, especially where teeth are concerned. These may include such things as decay under an old filling, teeth trapped below the gums, cavities between the teeth, bone loss as the result of gum disease, and changes in jaw bone structure which can be affected by many systemic diseases. X-rays are vital in determining the extent of facial and dental injuries.
The three most common types of dental x-rays are the bitewing, periapical, and panoramic x-rays.
Bitewing x-rays are those that are taken during most routine dental check-ups and are essential for revealing cavities between the teeth.
Periapical x-rays show the entire tooth, including the roots, as well as the bone surrounding them. These x-rays are useful in helping to diagnose an abscessed tooth, as well as periodontal (gum) disease.
Panoramic x-ray, as its name suggests, gives a broad overview of the entire mouth. This x-ray supplies information about the teeth, upper and lower jawbone, sinuses, and other hard and soft tissues of your child's head and neck. A panoramic x-ray is indicated approximately every five years to check for anything unusual such as missing or extra teeth, or pathology of the jaw such as a cyst, or sometimes cancer.
Is it safe to have x-rays taken?
The answer is yes! Numerous precautions and advances in x-ray equipment and techniques help protect you from receiving unnecessary radiation. The amount of radiation received from a dental x-ray examination is extremely small compared to other naturally occurring sources of radiation such as minerals in the soil, radon, and cosmic radiation from outer space. Unlike their medical counterparts, dental x-rays are very low in radiation.
Lead body aprons and neck shields are available, however, modern dental x-ray equipment and techniques, along with over 50 years of research has shown that the apron is no longer required because of how specific, and focused the x-rays are.*
Today’s equipment filters out unnecessary x-rays and restricts the x-ray beam to the area of interest. Ultra high speed film and proper shielding assures that you receive a minimal amount of radiation exposure.
Another reason that x-rays are safe is that the amount of radiation needed to expose a dental x-ray is very minimal due to the small size of the dental film itself. The radiation beam is a very narrow one that literally passes through the cheek and out of your body.
Digital X-rays versus Conventional X-rays
All types of radiation can be damaging to the cells in our body. This includes radiation from sunlight, microwave ovens, all the electronic devices we use, and dental x-rays. However by using the right equipment with the correct safeguards, we limit the dosage of radiation to your children to the lowest amount possible.
You may have heard of digital x-rays which are one of the newest technologies in the dental field. The concept of digital radiography refers only to the capture and display of the images of your teeth. The procedure of taking digital x-rays is identical to the traditional one. We would then insert a sensor instead of dental film into the mouth and take the picture with the same x-ray machine. Afterwards, instead of processing the film, a computer system captures the image of the teeth. The Doctor and you can then view the radiographs on a computer monitor.
Therefore, with digital x-rays you would still be exposed to radiation, although the amount of radiation can be decreased slightly versus that amount needed with a conventional x-ray. The disadvantage of digital x-rays is that the sensors used can be too bulky for young children. These bulky, hard plastic sensors with an attached cord make it very uncomfortable for most children and therefore impossible to obtain the required pictures. We endeavor to decrease our patients' exposure to radiation by using the most modern equipment that limits radiation only to the teeth, using leaded aprons (where applicable) to protect our patients and parents.
Dental X-rays may reveal:
fractured jaw
bone damage
abscessed teeth
malocclusion of teeth
unerupted or impacted teeth
periodontal disease (gum disease)
the presence and extent of dental caries
the number, size, and position of your child's teeth
other abnormalities of your child's teeth and jaw bones
*There is no law requiring the use of lead aprons during dental radiographs and the Michigan Board of Dentistry general rules do not mandate the use of lead aprons. Additional info can be found here.