Dental News

Dental X-Rays Are Nothing to Be Afraid Of: Learn How They Can Help You

December 27, 2017

Dental X-Rays Are Nothing to Be Afraid Of: Learn How They Can Help You

Dental x-rays are one part of the dentist’s total tool kit to keep your teeth healthy and beautiful. At California Dental Group, we find that some clients are nervous about dental x-rays. New procedures can always be scary but the good news is that this is actually a painless way for us to get a wealth of information about your dental health. Read on to learn more about how they can help and then give us a call at (800) 407-0161 to schedule a dental exam and cleaning.

What exactly are dental x-rays?

A dental x-ray is an important diagnostic tool that your dentist will use to get information they can’t get from your dental exam alone. X-rays are the best way to accurately and safely find hidden dental issues. Once we know what’s going on under the surface, we can find the best treatment plan to move forward. Without the use of x-rays and their results, many oral health issues would go undetected.

Dental x-rays can tell us a lot

People often wonder exactly what a dentist can learn from x-rays. There are a number of things they can tell us about your teeth. For example, they can tell us if you an abscess or cyst. If you have bone loss, that will be visible in an x-ray, as will tumors – both cancerous and non-cancerous. Dental x-rays allow us to see issues inside your teeth and below the gum line, to see decay between your teeth, to find out if you have issues with the roots of your tooth, and, when used on children, whether there are developmental abnormalities.

Are dental x-rays really safe?

It’s no secret that x-rays involve radiation. As a result, it may seem strange for them to be considered safe. The truth is that the amount of radiation for mouth x-rays is extremely low. In fact, it’s about the same amount that a person receives every day from natural sources. That said, we do take special precautions to ensure that your exposure is as little as possible. For example, we’ll outfit you with a lead apron to protect your body, and we use innovative film that reduces the amount of exposure time for each x-ray.

How often do you need x-rays?

There are a lot of advantages to regular dental x-rays. If we can find dental issues early enough, we can help you save time, money, and discomfort. How often you’ll need them will depend on a number of factors including your age, dental history, any symptoms you’re currently experiencing, and what risk factors you exhibit. When we first see a patient, we typically do a full series of x-rays. We then may follow up yearly, every other year, or more often for those who are at high risk.

Do you know how long it’s been since you had your teeth x-rayed? If not, then now is a great time to contact your local California dentist. You can reach California Dental Group by calling us at (800) 407-0161. We are here to help your smile stay happy for years to come.

Read Our Reviews