why do dentists take xrays?
Sometimes new patients ask us why they need an x-ray.
At our practice in the East Midlands, we have two types of x-ray machines. One machine gives a full view of the whole mouth and jaws, while the other gives us a more detailed view of just a few teeth at a time.
X-rays are really important because:
– we can assess the presence of decay
-we can assess presence of infections
– we can assess presence or abscence of teeth in the growing child
– we can assess the gum health and bone levels
– we can assess the position of the implants placed by our surgeon
All of these factors are really important in treatment planning, so that we can ascertain that teeth and gums are healthy prior to commencing cosmetic or orthodontic treatment. X-rays helps us diagnosing dental problems that cause pain as we can idenity sources of infection.
X-rays are taken by us only when clinically necessary.