Dental X-rays help your dentist visualize diseases of the teeth and surrounding tissue that cannot be seen with a simple oral exam. In addition, X-rays help your dentist find and treat dental problems early in their development, which can potentially save you money, unnecessary discomfort, and maybe even your life.
What Problems Can Dental X-Rays Detect?
In adults, dental X-rays can be used to:
- Show areas of decay that may not be visible with an oral exam, especially small areas of decay between teeth
- Identify decay occurring beneath an existing filling
- Reveal bone loss that accompanies gum disease
- Reveal changes in the bone or in the root canal resulting from infection
- Assist in the preparation of tooth implants, braces, dentures, or other dental procedures
- Reveal abscesses (an infection at the root of a tooth or between the gum and a tooth)
- Reveal other developmental abnormalities, such as cysts and some types of tumors
In children, dental X-rays are used to:
- Watch for decay
- Determine if there is enough space in the mouth to fit all incoming teeth
- Determine if primary teeth are being lost quickly enough to allow permanent teeth to erupt properly
- Check for the development of wisdom teeth and identify if the teeth are impacted (unable to emerge through the gums)
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