DO I NEED X-RAYS?
Dental radiographs (x-rays) are a necessity for proper diagnosis of disorders in the mouth, such as tooth decay and gum disease, and for the maintenance of oral health. Radiographs enable the dentist to detect problems that would be apparent by no other means. By catching these small problems sooner, they may be prevented from developing into much larger difficulties that might entail more discomfort, extensive treatment, and more expense.
Dental x-rays produce an image on radiographic film that has been exposed to ionizing radiation through your oral tissues. The film is processed in a developing machine. This is similar to how a photographic image is produced, except the photo film has been exposed to reflected light. Since light will not pass through your oral structures and ionizing radiation will, the latter is used for dental images. This can reveal decay between the back teeth, loss of jawbone around the teeth and under your gums, and impacted teeth within the jawbones.
It is important to understand that, although its effects are additive in the short term, ionizing radiation only affects you when you are exposed to it. In other words, any minuscule damage done to your mouth when a dental radiograph is taken only occurs as the film is exposed to the ionizing radiation (usually lasting less than a second), and is quickly repaired by the body. One would have to have constant exposure of the very low amounts of ionizing radiation used in dental x-rays over several hours in a row to just begin to have even minor detrimental effects to the mouth. The amount of radiation used for a full-mouth series is less than that of one chest x-ray. The risks you take to your oral health by refusing dental radiographs are far greater than any there might be from having those x-rays taken.
Our dentists order only those radiographs necessary to properly examine your mouth. These include bitewing x-rays at least once a year if you have any back teeth in contact with adjacent ones, and a full mouth series or panoramic view at least once every three to five years. Bitewing radiographs reveal two very common forms of dental disease; interproximal decay and bone loss. A full mouth series or panoramic view, which shows the entire root system of each of your teeth, discloses any tooth nerve problems, jaw fractures, impacted teeth, bone tumors, or other dental abnormalities.