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Why do I need dental x-rays?

nib Dental Care Centre > News > Dental Tips & Info > Why do I need dental x-rays?
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nib health fund
14/11/2016

Why do I need dental x-rays?

When dentists perform a dental check-up, they are limited to what they can see in your mouth – they can only see the part of the tooth that sits above the gumline. Even then, dentists cannot see clearly between teeth where they touch. So just like other x-rays ordered by medical doctors to check for things like broken bones, dentists use dental x-rays to help see the parts of your teeth that sit below the gums and the surrounding bone.

What problems can dental x-rays show?
Dentists may take different types of x-rays depending upon what structures they are trying to view. Larger x-rays often provide a broader overview and are often taken outside the mouth. Smaller x-rays (where the x-ray film is placed inside the mouth) are used to show a smaller area in more detail, such as the area between two teeth.

Conditions which may show up on x-rays include (but are not limited to);
• Tooth decay, including the presence of decay between your teeth and/or underneath fillings
• Tooth abscesses
• Bone loss associated with Peridontal (gum) disease
• Cysts, or areas of chronic infection which can be associated with unerrupted teeth, or teeth which have suffered some sort of trauma
• Developing teeth – whether they are present and whether they appear as expected in the correct location
• The presence of extra teeth or alternatively the absence of teeth
• The presence of wisdom teeth and their position
• Traumatic injuries such as tooth and/or bone fractures
• The presence of any growths
• Inflammation of sinuses (on larger x-rays)

When should I get x-rays?
Your dentist will help you decide how often you should have dental x-rays as everyone’s needs are different. Dentists may suggest that you undergo a series of x-rays when they have not seen you before as a patient, so that they can complete a comprehensive examination and advise you of your overall dental status. Dentists may also require patients to have dental x-rays in order to either plan dental treatment, monitor treatment outcomes or to assist with treatment procedures.

Dentists might recommend dental x-rays depending on:
• Whether the dentist has seen the patient before
• A patient’s age
• A patient’s dental history
• The presence of symptoms requiring investigation
• The number of teeth present
• The visible condition of the patients teeth and gums
• The treatment being proposed and/or provided at the time
• The extent of disease and the need to monitor treatment outcomes

 

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The nib Dental Care Centre trademark is owned by nib health funds ABN 83 000 124 381 and is used under license by Pacific Smiles Group Limited. Quality dental services are provided at nib Dental Care and Pacific Smiles Dental Centres by independent dentists.


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