Many parents are reluctant to have X-Rays taken of their children’s teeth due to concerns about the safety or necessity of the procedure. Dental X-Rays are completely safe and expose your child to the most minimal degree of radiation that is not harmful at all. Today’s advanced technology means that a tunnel-beam X-Ray is used, meaning only one specific area is exposed to the very minimal radiation. This makes it even more safe and harmless. The ability to generate X-Rays instantly thanks to technological improvements reduces the time that radiation is existent.
There is no set timetable for when or how often your child’s mouth needs X-Rays, however as a general rule we recommend taking X-Rays every 12 months in children, but sooner if there are reasons for concern. The necessity varies from child to child – depending on their dental health, general health and any other factors such as diet or orthodontic appliances. Certain children who have many cavities may be classified as ‘high risk’ patients, prone to decay. In these cases, we recommend X-Rays are taken every six months.
There are several reason X-rays are necessary, for both children and adults. When examining a patient’s mouth, a dentist can see the front, back and biting surfaces of the teeth. However, it is impossible to see between the teeth during a physical examination. X-Rays allow the dentist to see on film, any decay, cavities, calculus or infections between the teeth that would otherwise be completely undetectable.
We recently saw a patient who is five years old, and had seen us last year for a regular check-up and clean. At their last visit, the patient declined having X-Rays taken, and on physical examination no cavities or concerns were noted. Within less than six months, this patient has returned and have X-Rays taken, which reveal numerous extremely large cavities, which have progressed to the nerves of the teeth and will need extensive treatment.
This case reinforced to us how crucial it is to take X-Rays of kids teeth, even when visually everything looks okay. Even within a matter of a few short months, children’s teeth can decay rapidly. We highly recommend X-Raying children’s teeth regularly, as skipping this important step can lead to complicated issues such as deep cavities and nerve infection.
A digital dental x-ray is a type of dental x-ray that replaces the typical film detector with a digital detector. A digital dental x-ray has some advantages over a traditional one, such as better image quality and storage convenience. Digital dental x-rays are better at detecting indicators of oral cancer, cavities, and bone loss because they are more detailed. Traditionally, this form of x-ray was not capable of accurately detecting these objects. Furthermore, getting a digital dental x-ray is faster and more convenient than taking a traditional x-ray. As a result of these advantages, digital dental x-rays are being used more frequently in dentistry.