Dental X-Rays provide a lot of insight into your oral health for your dentist. Overall, they allow your dentist to get a better view of each tooth and the structures below the gums. X-rays are important in giving your dentist a full view of your oral health, so you can receive the care you need. Below, we will discuss some of the ways X-rays can find oral health issues that your dentist can address.

Hidden Cavities

Your front teeth are generally thin, so cavities are easier to find on them. However, your back teeth are bigger, so it may not be as easy to identify hidden cavities without X-rays. For thinner front teeth, shining a light at them can reveal cavities. But this doesn’t work on molars.

X-Rays can Reveal Bone Problems

When you think about what a dentist does, you often think about teeth and gums. But dental care also extends to your jaw. Your jaw helps keeps teeth in place. Dentists can’t see through your gums and face to look at your jaw. Because of this, dental X-rays are important in determining if there is damage to your jaw, or if there are problems with your tooth roots that keep your teeth in place.

X-Rays can Show Hidden Infections

In many cases, early signs of infection are minimal. You may not experience symptoms from an early infection in teeth or gums. However, dental X-rays can sometimes show signs of infection early. This can help your dentist diagnose and treat infections before they become worse. This can save you from expensive treatments and painful symptoms down the line.

Signs of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer affects over 50,000 people in America. Dental X-rays can often find signs of oral cancer early and can be vital to early intervention. This can mean that you can get an earlier path to treatment before further complications ensue. Early treatment of any kind of cancer can be vital to reducing the mortality rate.

A Center for Dental Excellence does not provide medical or healthcare advice via articles. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for medical advice.
A Center for Dental Excellence provides expert dental care to the Brooklyn and Staten Island communities we serve. To schedule an appointment or consultation, contact us or call the office you would like to visit. (718) 232-8289 for Brooklyn, and (718) 980-9555 for Staten Island.