Finding A Great Dentist

Why X-Rays Are A Critical Part Of Complete Dental Care

16 December 2014

Kenzi Thompson

X-rays require additional time in your dentist's office and can also require you to cough up money on top of the copay you already owe your dentist, but they are essential. The X-rays are such a crucial part of complete dental care because they provide a valuable glimpse of your teeth, gums and jaw. With this information, your dentist is better able to provide the care you need to keep your pearly whites sparkling and healthy.

They Establish a Baseline for Dental Treatment

Dental X-rays provide an up-to-date picture of what your present oral health looks like. Your dentist will use the pictures to determine if you have any cavities that have already been filled, if you have any missing teeth or loose teeth. The X-rays will also provide a picture of the roots of your teeth and the overall health of your gums.

They Help Determine Care

The X-rays that your dentist takes will show if you have teeth, such as wisdom teeth, that haven't emerged from the gums yet or cyst along your gum line. Knowing that these problems exist will help your dentist develop a treatment plan that is specific to your needs. The X-rays can also reveal impacted teeth, abnormal jaw bone joints or fractures in the bones of your jaw.

They Can Help Prevent Dental Damage

The pictures that X-rays reveal provide clues about potential problems that could occur in the future. For example, your dentist will notice if you're losing bone mass in your jaw, which can lead to tooth loss later in life. When serious problems like this are caught early, treatment is less expensive and is less intrusive. Teeth grinding might also be revealed through X-rays, which will help your dentist prescribe treatment before your teeth are severely eroded. Less seriously, X-rays show dental decay in the spaces between your teeth, something that your dentist won't be able to see with a visual exam.

They Help to Protect Your Overall Health

X-rays can also help your dentist catch problems that will impact more than just your oral health. If, for example, you have a benign or malignant tumor or mass growing on your jaw bone or elsewhere in your mouth, an X-ray will reveal that. Signs of oral cancer might also be revealed on X-ray pictures. X-rays might also show signs of an oral infection that could lead to more serious problems. 

Consult with professionals, such as Couchman Center for Complete Dentistry, with any further inquiries.

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