06/26/2017 14:03
In addition to intraoral photography, which targets areas of the mouth for immediate digital scrutiny, dentists use x-rays to supplement every aspect of a dental exam.
How often you receive dental x-rays is between you and your dentist. Increased reliance on digital x-rays has reduced radiation exposure by as much as 90 percent, so you no longer have to worry much about dental x-rays being harmful. Most practices use x-rays to establish a baseline of care, and may not require them more often than every three years for healthy patients.
However, at the top of a patient’s treatment, x-rays are influential. Here are the three most common types of x-rays:
• Bitewing—visualizes both the upper and lower posterior teeth.
• Occlusal—visualizes the jaws, sinuses, and nasal cavity
• Periapical—visualizes the tooth from crown to root
X-rays are instrumental in cancer prevention, for starters. Precancerous growths in the gum or jawline can avoid detection in a physical exam. Our expert in dental x-rays in North Hollywood may also use x-rays to monitor retained wisdom teeth for any change in pathology or formation.
To find out more about dental x-rays, contact our North Hollywood dentists.
