Learn More About Dental X-Rays
Dr. Andre Eliasian is a Dentist practicing in Glendale, CA. Dr. Eliasian specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases and conditions associated with the mouth and overall dental health. Dentists are trained to carry out such treatment as professional cleaning, restorative, prosthodontic, and endodontic procedures,... more
Dental X-rays are considered a useful diagnostic tool. They can be a helpful source for a practitioner looking for tooth damage and disease which are not visible during a regular dental exam. Dental X-rays are also known as radiographs, they are a type of energy which passes through the soft tissues and is absorbed by dense tissue. Bones and teeth can absorb X-rays as they are very dense. It is even easier for X-rays to pass through gums and cheeks.
The need for a dental X-ray will depend on the present oral health of the patient along with their age, risk of disease, and any type of sign and symptoms of the disease. A wise dentist will always look for the history of the mouth first and will examine the teeth. After that, they will decide whether X-rays are needed or not.
Types of Dental X-Rays
There are two different types of dental X-rays. They are intraoral X-rays and extraoral X-rays. Intraoral X-rays occur when the X-ray film is inside the mouth and extraoral means that a film is outside the mouth.
Talking about intraoral X-rays, they are considered one of the most common types of dental X-rays taken. Such X-rays are helpful in providing details which assists the dentist in finding cavities, checking the health of tooth root, the status of developing teeth, the bone surrounding the tooth, and the general health of the jawbone and teeth.
Another type of dental X-rays is the extraoral X-rays that show teeth, but their main focus remains on the skull and jaw. They don't deliver the detail found with intraoral X-rays and consequently are not applied to detect cavities or to recognize problems with individual teeth. Instead, they are applied to have a look of the impacted teeth, development, and to monitor the growth of the jaws in relation to the teeth. Along with identifying potential troubles between the jaws and teeth, and other bones of the face or temporomandibular joint.
Purpose of Dental X-Rays
If someone is a new patient, one of the purposes of recommending dental X-rays may be to conclude the present status of the patient's oral health. In addition to having a baseline to recognize changes that may take place afterward. A new set of X-rays may be required for a person to assist the practitioner in detecting whether there have been any new cavities, evaluating the development and growth of the teeth, or determining the status of the gum health. If someone already has prior radiographs and they are available from your previous dentist, the new dentist can request you to provide these copies.
Procedure for Dental X-Rays
The procedure for dental X-rays requires no special preparation. They are taken with the patient sitting upright in the chair. After that, the practitioner will place a lead apron over the patient's chest and will wrap a thyroid collar around the neck. In the end, an X-ray sensor or film will be placed in their mouth for the picture.
It is said that most of the patients don't face any problems or discomfort at the time of dealing with X-rays. One of the biggest factors in how comfortable or uncomfortable the patient will be depends on the size and location of the sensor placement. Another factor that is counted at such stages is the size of the patient's mouth. If a patient has a smaller mouth; it will be more challenging for the practitioner when placing the sensor. Sometimes X-rays may be awkward or uncomfortable, but they don't prove to be painful in almost all cases.
Dental X-Rays Cost
It has been said that the cost of many dental X-rays can vary depending on the type of X-ray performed and location.
Risks of Dental X-Rays
Dental X-rays are said to be safe. Though, low levels of radiation exposure are required in such exams that make a risk of potentially harmful effects very small. Its techniques and tools are proposed to limit the exposure of the body to radiation and every safety measure is taken to make sure that the exposure of radiation is 'as low as reasonable achievable' principle.
A leaded apron proves to be effective in minimizing the exposure to the abdomen and can be used when it will not interface with the dental radiograph. There is also a thyroid collar which can safeguard the thyroid from radiation and should also be implemented whenever possible.
If a woman is pregnant, she must tell her dentist. At the time of pregnancy, there might be a requirement of having X-rays as a part of a treatment plan for a dental problem. Having a thyroid collar during dental X-rays is recommended for women of childbearing age, and children as well as pregnant women. Especially with pregnant women, it is helpful in protecting them as well as their fetus from radiation exposure.
Types of Teeth
If someone is concerned about their teeth, they should take special care of them. Along with that, we should have an idea about what teeth we have. If you are unaware of the types of teeth, we can assist you. It has been said that most adults contain a set of 32 teeth that are known as permanent or secondary teeth. It contains 8 incisors, 4 canines (cuspids), 8 premolars (bicuspids), and 12 molars, that contain 4 wisdom teeth.
The eight incisors are situated in the front part of the mouth, out of which four are located in the upper jaw and rest one in the lower jaw. Incisors contain sharp edges that help a person in biting food. Incisors will be applied when a person sinks their teeth into an apple. They are generally the initial set of teeth to explode, emerging at about 6-months-old.
The next one is about four canines. They sit next to the incisors, out of which two are there on the top of the mouth and two on the bottom side. They have a pointy and sharp surface that is helpful in tearing the food. The initial baby canines appear in between 16 and 20 months. Upper canines are the one which come in first, followed by the lower canines.
The eight premolars of a person are located next to the canines. Both the lower and bottom part contains four premolars. They are bigger in size as compared to incisors and canines and contain a flat surface having ridges to grind and crush food into tiny pieces, making it easier to swallow.
At last, the twelve molars are considered as the strongest and largest teeth. Half a dozen is divided in both the top and bottom part. The large surface area of the molars is helpful in grinding up food. When a person eats something, the tongue helps to push food to the back side of the mouth. Then, the molars break up the food into tiny pieces enough for them to swallow.
