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Dental X-Rays (Radiography)

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How Often Do You Need Dental X-Rays?

If you’re ready to take the next step towards a healthier, happier smile, book your appointment with us today.

Dental x-rays show dentists the condition of your teeth, bone and associated tissues in the mouth. They are very useful for revealing structures in your mouth that are hidden from view during a visual examination. Dental x-rays can be used to diagnose various dental issues, such as infected teeth, or to help your dentist plan various procedures such as root canal therapy or more complex treatments such as dental implants. We use digital dental x-rays which are very safe, and the amount of radiation emitted is minimal.

How Often Do You Need Dental X-Rays?

Healthy adults will normally require a new set of dental x-rays every two years or so, but this can vary according to your level of dental health.

We will need to take dental x-rays at your first appointment, as this will help us assess your general dental health and to customise your treatment plan.

Types of Dental X-Rays

There are several types of dental x-rays that we may use and these include

Bitewing x-raysThese show your upper and lower back teeth, and the way they contact each other in a single image. This type of dental x-ray is commonly used to check for decay in between each tooth, and to show how the teeth occlude or bite together. Bitewing dental x-rays can also be useful for showing how much bone has been lost due to gum disease or another type of dental infection.

Periapical dental x-raysThese show the entire structure of the tooth right from the crown or exposed part of the tooth down to the tooth root and surrounding bones supporting the tooth. This type of dental x-ray is very useful for diagnosing abscesses or impacted teeth, or for showing changes in the bone surrounding the teeth.

Panoramic dental x-raysThese give a broad overview of the entire mouth. They cannot show sufficient detail to diagnose cavities, but are very useful for detecting impacted teeth, infections, bone fractures or bone abnormalities.