Dental radiographs

Dental radiographs

Dental X-rays are pictures of the teeth, alveolar bone and soft tissue around the teeth, obtained by exposure to X-rays for use in the detection of potential dental diseases or oral cavity and jaw.

Dental radiographs help identify cavities, hidden dental structures (such as wisdom teeth) or bone loss, problems that sometimes can not be seen during a visual dental examinations.

Types of dental radiographs most commonly used are:

1. Film radiography bit: is used to provide images of the back teeth (both the top, and the corresponding bottom), and the way they touch when biting down. Muscat film radiographs can highlight cavities between teeth, how to align teeth and bone loss where teeth are affected by infection or periodontal disease.

2. Periapical radiography: provides a picture of the whole tooth from its crown to root and alveolar bone. It is used to detect dental problems that occur below the gum line or in the jaw, such as impact teeth, dental abscesses, cysts or tumors.

3. Occlusal radiography: provides images of the upper or lower arch (roof of the mouth and jaw) and is used to identify teeth that have not yet erupted, jaw fractures, cysts, abscesses, growths and lesions palate.

4. Panoramic radiography: provides a picture of the jaw, teeth, sinuses and temporomandibular joints on the same film. No help identify cavities, is used to detect dental disease and tooth impact, cysts, tumors, infections and fractures.

5. Digital radiography: is a new technology that takes the image using a sensor, then transmits it to a computer.

Why are they used?

-To identify early, before symptoms manifest diseases such as tooth decay or bone loss
-To detect anomalies in terms of eruption of certain teeth or teeth that have erupted inappropriate
-To identify abscesses, cysts and tumors
-Make the plan to serve in root canal treatment, dental implants and teeth straightening procedures

When are recommended?

Food and Drug Administration of the USA recommend regarding dental radiographs following:

-People who do not have cavities and they are not at an increased risk of developing caries: movie radiographs to seek bitten every 2 or 3 years for adults, every half minimum 1 year (3 years maximum) if teenagers, every one or two years, in children
-People who have cavities or are at high risk of developing caries: X-ray film to appeal to bite every 1 year or 1 year and a half, in adults, every 6 or 12 months in the case of teenagers, every 6 months , for children