Dental X-Rays In Gainesville
What Is A Dental X-Ray?
At Van Dyke General and Implant Dentistry, your oral care and health are our top priorities. Many people do not realize that the health of their teeth directly affects the rest of their body. That is why our team relies on high-quality, innovative dental technology, such as digital X-rays, to prevent, identify, and heal oral diseases and defects of all types. A dental X-ray provides a thorough blueprint of your oral health that can often be overlooked through physical oral exams. X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation.
In contrast with visible light, this type of radiation can pass through soft tissue, while bones reflect a greater amount of the radiation, making them visible to your dentist. Traditional X-rays use film to capture the final image, but digital dental X-rays transfer the image to a computer through a special sensor that uses a thin wire to connect to the computer. Dentists use dental X-rays to detect the vast majority of oral issues, including the following dental developments. Contact our dentists in Gainesville, FL, to schedule a dental X-ray appointment.
- Cavities and oral decay
- Tooth decay under existing dental fillings
- Tumors and/or cysts
- Tooth rotation and/or movement
- Bone loss and/or growth in the jaw
- Changes in the bone or root canals from infection
- Position of teeth to help prepare for dental implants, braces, or dentures
Why Are Dental X-Rays Performed?
A patient will typically receive a digital dental X-ray once or more each year. Additional dental X-rays may be required more often if your dentist requires them in order to track the progress of a dental issue or treatment. There are a number of factors that can affect how often you undergo dental X-rays, such as your age, current oral health, symptoms indicating oral disease, and any history of gum disease or dental decay. If you are a new patient of Van Dyke General and Implant Dentistry, then we will likely recommend digital dental X-rays so that our dentists can get a clear picture of your current dental health. This is particularly important if you do not have X-rays from your previous dentist.
Children may require more frequent dental X-rays in comparison to those required with adult patients because our dentists may need to monitor the development and growth of their adult teeth. This is highly relevant as it can help our team determine the growth and course of baby teeth and whether any treatments are required in order to prevent complications in the future and when adult teeth grow in their place. In children, digital dental X-rays can help us determine if there is decay, if there is adequate space in the mouth to accommodate all incoming (adult) teeth, if wisdom teeth are growing, and if the teeth are unable to emerge through the gums (impacted). For additional information, please contact us!
Digital Dental X-Ray Benefits
There are a wide range of benefits associated with dental radiography using digital imaging technology. Digital dental X-rays are safe and they offer an environmentally-friendly, efficient, effective, and three-dimensional alternative to traditional oral X-rays. For more information about our digital dental X-rays, and to schedule an appointment for treatment, contact Van Dyke General and Implant Dentistry!
Decreased Exposure To Radiation
Among the best benefits of oral imaging with a digital dental X-ray machine is reduceddental X-ray radiation. Compared with traditional film X-rays, digital imaging significantly decreases the amount of radiation exposed to the patient.
Environmentally Friendly
Another benefit of digital imaging technology is the ecologically-sound nature of our machines.
Because the images generated through digital imaging are directly uploaded and transferred online and to our computers, our digital X-rays don’t require the use of added materials.
Efficiency
Digital X-ray systems are more efficient than film-based X-ray systems. Pictures are generated quickly and can be transmitted via email and other online services. The quality of the pictures is excellent and can be adjusted. Images can be magnified, sharpened or molded into a negative view. As a result, our dental X-ray procedure offers a clear view into your dental health.
3D Imaging
Our 3D dental x-ray machines allow our dentist to assess problems that may not be visible in 2D X-rays. Digital dental imaging makes taking care of your teeth and overall oral health easy and efficient. We are always willing to adapt to new standards and discover new approaches to merge patient comfort with quality services and protection.
Are Dental X-Rays Safe?
The amount of radiation emitted from dental X-rays is extremely small. Digital X-rays, instead of those that use film, reduce your risk of exposure to radiation even futher. Our 3D digital dental X-rays limit the radiation beam to a very small area, while our use of full-body protective wear for our patients likewise helps ensure that patients receive the highest-possible quality X-rays without sacrificing their safety.
With regard to dental X-ray during pregnancy, patients who are pregant or believe they will become pregnant may not be elligible to receive dental imaging. For additional information, please contact Van Dyke General and Implant Dentistry.
How To Prepare For Dental X-Rays
Digital dental X-rays require no special preparation! Prior to your appointment with our dentists, be sure to brush and floss in order to create an optimally hygienic environment for our team. For patients visiting our office for a regular teeth-cleaning appointment, a member of our team will typically take X-rays of the patient’s mouth prior to performing the cleaning.
Types Of Dental X-Rays
There are several different dental X-ray types dentists use to get a clear, dynamic view of their patients’ oral health and wellbeing. The most common types of digital dental X-ray machines are intraoral X-rays, including bitewing X-rays, occlusal X-rays, panoramic dental X-rays, and periapical X-rays. Extraoral X-rays may likewise be used if the dentist suspects that problems may be present in areas outside of the gums and teeth, such as the patient’s jaw bone.
Your dental hygienist will guide you through each aspect of the digital X-ray process, from explaining what is required of you during the imaging process, to answering any questions you may have about our digital dental X-ray machine. Patients are generally asked to remain as-still-as-possible while the pictures are recorded.
Bitewing X-Rays
The bitewing X-ray technique requires that patients bite down on a special piece of material so that their dentist can see how well or poorly the crowns of their top row of teeth match their bottom row of teeth. This technique is commonly used to inspect the mouth for cavities located in between the teeth, or interdental cavities.
Occlusal X-Rays
The occlusal X-ray technique captures images of all of the teeth at once and records imaged while the patient’s jaw is closed in order to see how the upper and bottom teeth line up. It can likewise be used to detect anatomical abnormalities in the floor or palate of the mouth or to track the development and placement of the overall arch of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw.
Panoramic Dental X-Rays
The panoramic dental X-ray is a type of extraoral X-ray that shows the entire mouth area on a single X-ray. This X-ray captures the position of both fully emerged and emerging teeth, and it can see impacted teeth below the gumline. Panoramic X-rays can also be used to detect and help in the diagnosis of tumors.
Periapical X-Rays
Periapical X-rays capture images of the entirety of a tooth, from the crown to beyond the root where the tooth is attached to the jaw bone. Each periapical X-ray shows all teeth in one portion of the upper jaw or the lower jaw. These X-rays can detect any unusual discrepancies or changes to the tooth’s root as well as its surrounding bone structures.
Dental X-Ray Results
After your dental X-ray, and once the images are instantly uploaded to our software, your dentist will review the images and look for any abnormalities that may be present. Your dentist may go over your results following your teeth cleaning, or if our hygienist identifies any significant issues during the X-rays, they may be reviewed earlier than this. If your dentist identifies issues in the images, such as cavities, gum problems, or dental decay, then they will discuss your treatment options with you. Digital X-rays make taking care of your teeth and overall oral health easy and efficient. Our professionals have been serving Gainesville, FL, and the surrounding areas since 1987. We are always willing to adapt to new standards and discover new approaches to merge patient comfort with quality services and protection.