We hear this question from patients almost every day. Why do I need x-rays? Here are the top three most important reasons (and we’ve got good news about dental x-rays you may not know).
- The most important reason for having dental x-rays is to allow the dentist to provide a complete exam. A visual dental exam provides only some of the information a dentist needs to see. Many cavities can only be seen on x-ray because they are in between teeth. Additionally, sometimes the only way to see abscesses, lesions or growths within the bony structures is via x-ray.
- We will only take the minimum number of xrays that any patient needs, as set out by the ADA guidelines and treatment requirements.
- The radiographs we use in the dental office are DIGITAL radiographs. They use one tenth of the radiation other types of xrays use. (You would get more radiation on a sunny day than you will receive from a full mouth set of dental xrays.)For all of these reasons, a dentist cannot conduct a complete exam unless x-rays are taken and evaluated. We are always striving to perform the best treatment possible and one of the most important things we can do for our patients is to have up-to-date xrays so we can properly evaluate their complete dental situation.