Superman had X-ray vision, but much to their disappointment, dentists aren’t awarded this superpower when they graduate from dental school. Therefore, they rely on traditional x-rays as part of your dental examination.
X-Rays are an important part of your preventative exam. Since we cannot see decay under restorations or cavities between teeth on a visual exam alone, x-rays provide us with supportive diagnostic information. We often get asked about the types of x-rays we take and the differences between them. There are four types of x-rays that most dentists take:
BITEWINGS: Bitewings are one of the most common types of x-rays, capturing the crowns (part of the tooth above the gumline) of both upper and lower molars and premolars simultaneously. They are used to screen for cavities in areas that cannot be seen upon visual examination alone, such as between teeth and around/under fillings and other types of dental restorations.
PERIAPICAL ("PA"): This type of x-ray is taken when we need to see more than just the crowns of your teeth and shows the whole length of the tooth, its roots and surrounding bone.
FULL MOUTH ("FMX"): Typically taken every three to five years, an FMX captures detailed images of each tooth and the surrounding structures. Using a combination of Bitewing and Periapical x-rays, they are used to diagnose dental conditions such as gum disease, cavities, dental abscesses and lesions.
PANORAMIC ("Panorex", "Pan"): A Panorex is a single picture image which captures an overview of the entire upper and lower jaw and surrounding areas. These are most often used by Oral Surgeons and Orthodontists during treatment planning. Since they do not provide the explicit detail of individual x-rays, they are not used in place of an FMX.
A very common concern when we mention x-rays is the concern for radiation. Radiation exposure associated with dentistry represents a very minor contribution to the total exposure from all sources, both natural and man-made. Although this fact held true even before digital systems were developed, digitized systems have drastically reduced the amount of radiation required to produce an image, making them even safer.
Our office uses the latest technologies to monitor your dental health, such as digitized x-rays, infrared transillumination lights and intraoral cameras.