What Are Dental X Rays? Purpose, Benefits, and Types Explained

We all may know how important dental check-ups are in helping us to maintain oral health. A key part of dental exams is dental X-rays, which are used by dental professionals for oral health diagnosis and treatment planning. Dental imaging allows dentists to evaluate tooth eruption, oral structures, and dental restorations, and hidden issues that are not visible to the naked eye, like decay between teeth, infections, cysts, and bone loss. Gentle Dental X-rays are state-of-the-art, providing safe, comfortable, and high-quality treatment to patients of all ages.

What Are Dental X-rays?

Most likely, you have had the experience of getting a dental X-ray taken routinely. But have you ever wondered, ‘What are dental X-rays?’ They are used as dental imaging tools by dentists to evaluate the health of your teeth, gums, and jawbone. X-rays' purpose focuses on providing valuable insight into oral health conditions that cannot be solely identified visually during a routine dental check-up. Dental X-ray benefits include the ability to detect and accurately diagnose hidden problems like tooth decay, infections, dental abscesses, cysts, tumors, impacted teeth, bone loss, and missing permanent teeth.

Why Are Dental X-rays Important?

The importance of dental X-rays should not be overlooked. Dental X-ray benefits include allowing dental professionals to detect issues like cavities, gum disease, infections, tumors, tooth impaction, and bone loss. X-rays for treatment planning are key for important procedures like dental implants, braces, clear aligners, root canals, fillings, crowns, veneers, and extractions. X-rays allow for early detection of dental problems and treatment, leading to less invasive and costly treatments in the future.

Types of Dental X-rays

There are several types of dental X-rays that your dentist may prescribe based on the area of the mouth that is trying to be evaluated. They are typically placed into two categories: intraoral (inside the mouth) and extraoral (outside the mouth). Common types used in dentistry include bitewing X-rays, periapical X-rays, panoramic X-rays, and cone beam CT/CBCT scans.

Bitewing X-rays

Often captured during routine dental check-ups, bitewing X-rays provide a view of the upper and lower teeth on the right and left sides of the mouth. These X-rays help identify cavities between teeth and assess the health of dental restorations like fillings or crowns.

Periapical X-rays

Periapical X-rays are used to show the entire tooth, including the surrounding bone, crown, and root. These are often used to detect infections within the tooth roots and bone, such as dental abscesses.

Panoramic X-rays

Panoramic X-rays provide a general view of the mouth, teeth, jaws, and sinuses. It is commonly used for evaluating wisdom teeth, jaw fractures, jaw tumors, and the eruption of adult teeth. It is also often used for planning orthodontic treatments or implant placement.

Cone Beam CT (CBCT) Scans

3D imaging with Cone Beam CT is often reserved for complex treatments. It may be used for planning implant placement, assessing bone health, evaluating impacted teeth or nerve canals, and TMJ disorders.

How Do Dental X-rays Work?

Understanding how dental X-rays work and the dental X-ray process can make getting them done seem a lot easier. Modern dental imaging technology uses minimal low-level radiation to penetrate through targeted areas of the mouth to create images based on the density of the tissues. There is very minimal radiation in dental X-rays, which are well below the safety limit recommendations. In fact, the amount of radiation is so low that the use of thyroid collars and lead aprons is no longer recommended for use during dental X-rays. Patients are placed in the proper position, and depending on the type of x-ray being given, a comfortable digital sensor may be placed inside the mouth. A button is pressed to capture the image, and the image is produced within seconds.

Are Dental X-rays Safe?

Dental X-ray safety is of top priority for dental professionals. Radiation safety during dental X-rays is guaranteed thanks to modern dental techniques and advanced technology. Low radiation X-rays are used, producing significantly less radiation than an average person receives from natural background radiation each day.

Dental professionals follow dental imaging safety guidelines, including the "As Low As Reasonably Achievable" (ALARA) principle, prescribing X-rays only when necessary and using the lowest possible radiation dose. As of the year 2024, the American Dental Association (ADA) and other medical organizations no longer recommend the use of thyroid collars or lead aprons for dental imaging.

When Are Dental X-rays Recommended?

When are dental X-rays needed? In general, routine dental X-rays are prescribed based on the medical judgement of your dental professional. Dental X-rays for new patients are often required to assess oral health and plan treatments. X-rays may be necessary every year or every two years to monitor dental restorations and detect dental issues. Certain patients may require them more frequently, such as those who are at high risk for dental disease or children's dental X-rays to monitor tooth development. Other X-rays for dental treatments may be needed, such as for orthodontics (braces or clear aligners), implant placement, dental crown placement, root canals, and extractions. X-rays are also commonly taken during dental emergencies to diagnose the underlying cause of troubling signs or symptoms.

How Often Should You Have Dental X-rays?

How often dental X-rays are taken depends on your dental professional and individual dental needs. Dental X-ray frequency can vary from person to person. Routine X-rays for oral health maintenance are typically performed every 6 to 12 months for patients with a high risk of dental disease, and every 12 to 36 months for low-risk adults. Children may require X-rays every 6 to 24 months to monitor the development of permanent teeth and assess any dental issues. Dental professionals use their professional judgment to determine the exact frequency to take dental X-rays, following safety guidelines and taking them only when necessary. Ask your dentist for specific details on when to get dental X-rays for your smile.

Can Dental X-rays Detect More Than Just Cavities?

Dental X-rays detect issues beyond just dental cavities, including X-rays for tumors or X-rays and gum disease. An oral health diagnosis with X-rays and clinical evaluation can be made to help develop a treatment plan to address any of your dental needs. By capturing images of teeth, roots, and the jawbone, your dentist can identify issues like infections, bone loss, fractures, impacted teeth, cysts, tumors, and other pathologies. Early detection and treatment of problems can reduce the risk of needing more invasive and costly dental treatments in the future.

What to Expect During a Dental X-ray Appointment?

A dental X-ray appointment is simple and quick. If X-rays are needed, your dentist will go over what to expect from X-rays, the X-ray process, and the cost of dental X-rays​. The dental X-ray procedure begins by properly positioning you with the X-ray machine. Depending on the type of X-ray being taken, a small sensor may be placed inside your mouth. Once positioned, the image is taken, producing instant results. The process may be repeated in different areas to capture the necessary teeth and oral structures. While typically painless and fast, you may experience slight discomfort from the positioning of the image sensors. Inform your dental professional if you experience any discomfort so that they can help make the procedure more comfortable.

Benefits of Dental X-rays at Gentle Dental

As you can see now, after reviewing this article, the benefits of dental X-rays are numerous. Gentle Dental provides modern dental imaging that is safe and effective, used by our highly skilled dental professionals for diagnosing and developing personalized treatment plans. Gentle Dental X-rays are comfortable, safe, and highly accurate to ensure all your dental needs are met. Contact us today for exceptional dental care at Gentle Dental.