Dental checkup: In India, 80-90 percent of adults suffer from dental cavities, which are often accompanied by misaligned teeth and other issues. Inadequate oral hygiene, which can lead to dental cavities and gum disease, has been linked to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Hence maintaining healthy teeth and gums is of primary importance.
Dr Sunita Kapoor, Director and Consultant Pathologist, City X-Ray & Scan Clinic, told IANSLife about the importance of regular dental visits and how dental X-rays can help dentists detect possible caries or such problems. which are not visible to the naked eye.
What are dental X-rays?
Dr Sunita: Dental X-rays show images of the inside of your teeth and jaws. They give a dentist a clear image of your hard tissues, ie the teeth and bones, and the soft tissues that surround your teeth and jaw bones. Typically, dentists use X-rays to evaluate structures such as your nerves, jawbone, tooth roots, sinuses, etc. that they cannot see during a routine checkup.
What can they show?
Dr. Sunita: Dental X-rays can reveal cysts and other types of tumors, small areas of decay between the teeth, and the position of the teeth, which can help decide whether braces, dentures, or dental implants are necessary. Or not. In addition, dental X-rays can also show decay beneath a filling and bone loss in the jaw due to periodontal diseases.
What are the Different Types of Dental X-rays?
Dr Sunita: There are two main types of dental X-rays – intraoral and extraoral. In intraoral the film or sensor is inside your mouth and in extraoral the film or sensor is outside your mouth. Intraoral X-rays include bitewing X-rays, periapical X-rays, and occlusal X-rays. Extraoral X-rays include panoramic X-rays, cephalometric X-rays, and cone beam CT scans (CBCT).
Bitwing, periapical and panoramic radiographs are most frequent. While periapical X-rays are useful for focusing on just one or two teeth, biting X-rays are done to detect early signs of decay between the back teeth or the bicuspids (the front teeth of the molars). Using panoramic X-rays, the entire mouth is visible in one picture. This is taken from the outside of your mouth and can help identify issues such as ulcers, jaw disorders, or bone irregularities.
Are Dental X-rays Safe?
Dr Sunita: These X-rays are safe when used judiciously. While there are low radiation levels, no harmful effects have been associated with them. In fact, the amount of radiation is comparable to the amount of radiation received or absorbed from things like TVs, smartphones, and computers.
Most dentists generally avoid taking X-rays during pregnancy unless it is absolutely necessary.
How often should you get dental X-rays?
Dr Sunita: Most people with healthy teeth and gums should get dental X-rays done only on the advice of a dentist. However, you may need more frequent X-rays if you have gum disease, frequent cavities, or other time-sensitive oral health problems.
X-rays are an integral part of an effective dental care plan. It is a diagnostic procedure that helps detect potential dental problems at an early stage before they cause major health effects. Depending on your dental and oral health, you can ask your dentist how often you should have dental X-rays.