Do you dread getting x-rays at the dentist’s office? Time-consuming and sometimes uncomfortable, x-rays may seem like more hassle than they’re worth. But Allen Daniels, DDS, of Bright Dental in Bright, Indiana, insists they’re not. Dr. Daniels says that x-rays are an essential part of your dental care. Here he talks about the importance of dental x-rays and explains what’s on the technological horizon to help improve your dentist’s diagnostic capabilities.
Dental x-rays are an invaluable diagnostic tool for dental practitioners. This is because they allow us to see inside the tooth, revealing things we could never see with just an examination. For example, while we can detect some types of tooth decay simply by looking into a patient’s mouth, we cannot detect all types.
A necrotic tooth (a tooth in which the nerve has died) is sometimes not detectable through an examination. Though some dead teeth actually change color, others do not. Because the tooth has died, it no longer causes discomfort to the patient. For this reason, it’s not uncommon for necrotic teeth to go undetected. A dead tooth requires a root canal if the tooth is to be saved. If left untreated, a dead tooth will become brittle and susceptible to breakage. In most cases, where a visual examination may not have shown evidence of a necrotic tooth, an x-ray will almost always reveal it.
Dental x-rays don’t just show us what’s going on inside the tooth, they also show us what’s occurring at the bone level. We routinely screen for oral cancer, both through clinical examination and x-rays. Oral cancer has one of the highest death rates of all types of cancer, so early detection is important. While many oral cancers are visible to the naked eye, others occur deep within the tissue and can quickly grow into the bone. Identifying oral cancer early allows for the greatest chance of successful treatment and recovery.
Beyond oral cancer, many problems can occur within the bones of the mouth. Systemic problems - those that affect the entire body - many times appear in the mouth first. In general, the mouth is a good indicator of what’s going on in the body, which is why physicians for generations have asked patients to open their mouths and stick their tongues out as part of every examination.
X-rays are an essential part of a child’s dental care as well. In young children who’ve not yet lost their baby teeth, x-rays can show the dentist the positions of the permanent teeth — whether they’re oriented properly, and whether there will be enough room for them to erupt normally. X-rays can give us a good indication of whether orthodontic treatment will be necessary later in life, and can offer us an opportunity to act early to avoid future problems.
Although x-rays are effective diagnostic tools, some dental practices, particularly those that handle a large number of dental implant cases, are using more advanced imaging techniques to ensure an even higher degree of accuracy. Dental CT scans can be extremely helpful in determining the correct placement for dental implants. Until recently, dentists had to send implant patients to the hospital for these scans. Now, however, some dental practitioners can perform these scans in their own offices. The ability to do in-office CT scans represents a huge technological leap for dentistry and will significantly improve our abilities to diagnose all kinds of dental problems. Although not available everywhere yet, in-office dental CT scans are becoming more and more common. So they may soon be coming to your dentist’s office.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
