Diagnostic dental x-rays
X-rays are an important diagnostic tool in dentistry. We are conscious of limiting unnecessary x-ray radiation and only recommend x-rays that are important for us to make the best treatment decisions for your dental care. Some examples of x-rays that are needed for your dental care include bitewing x-rays, PA’s, OPG’s, Lateral Cephalograms and low dose CT Dentascans. Bitewing x-rays are our usual check up x-rays that show the upper and lower back teeth. We use these routinely to diagnose problems such as decay developing between teeth and underneath fillings and to assess the local bone structures. We usually recommend that these x-rays are updated approximately every two years. Peri-apical or PA x-rays help us to look at the whole tooth from crown to root for specific teeth when we need to check for causes of pain such as abscesses. PA x-rays are also an essential part of root canal treatment. Sometimes we need to refer to diagnostic imaging practices for other x-rays. We often need to refer for OPG’s, Lat Ceph’s and CT Dentascans. OPG’s and Lat Ceph x-rays are required for orthodontic and other treatment planning and for assessing impacted teeth and 3D imaging such as low-dose CT’s are important for dental implant planning.