Dental x-rays are a valuable tool for dentists to assess the state of your oral health. They can detect cavities, fractures, cysts, impacted teeth, infections, and tumors. X-rays are taken inside and outside the mouth to capture both the inside and outside of your mouth. With the help of dental x-rays, dentists can detect cavities in areas that they couldn't see during the visual exam.
It is also possible to find an abscess caused by a pulp infection. According to the American Dental Association, any small, unidentified dental problem can become a serious health problem if the infection spreads throughout the body. Dental x-rays are an important part of preventive care and can help detect problems before they become serious. They use small amounts of radiation and capture an image of the front teeth and gums.
Knowing where tooth decay is located and how far it has progressed allows the dentist to develop an effective treatment plan to restore the affected tooth. Panoramic X-rays show the entire mouth in a single image and are meant to show bone abnormalities, fractures, cysts, impacted teeth, infections, and tumors. Intraoral x-rays are taken inside the mouth and extraoral x-rays are taken outside the mouth. When you have dental x-rays done, you can expect several images to be taken at a variety of angles that capture both the inside and outside of your mouth.If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, visit Smile4Ever Family Dentistry now.
Most of the time, a series of periapical x-rays of the entire mouth (about 14 to 21 x-rays) is done during a person's first visit to the dentist.