Hi, my name is Dr. Abalos, and I'm here with Sunbrite Dental. Day in and day out, I get a lot of questions on dental X-rays. Today, I will be addressing some of the common questions that I receive about dental X-rays.
What is a dental X-ray?
Dental X-rays are a type of photo that allows me to see inside your teeth and beyond the gums. For example, with our normal eye, we see when people smile at us or when patients open their mouths. This is what my eye is able to see. Dental X-rays are pictures that allow me to see beyond this, which is the other side of my model. I'm able to see the non-living part of the tooth, the living part of the tooth, and the quality of the bone that's holding on to the tooth or not holding on to the tooth. I can also see gum recession. In my model here, the gums have receded and it looks like there's a hole. I'm able to see whether or not the tooth is rotting, how deep and how large the rot is, and how close it is to the living part. Depending on where the rot is in the tooth, that's how I'll determine how best to treat my patient's tooth. Dental X-rays are absolutely needed.
When do dentists take dental X-rays?
Here at Sunbrite Dental, if you are a new patient, I will need dental X-rays. That is because I've never seen you before. It's for me to establish where you are in your dental health at this point in time, and how I can help you either attain or achieve optimal dental health. It's a very important tool for me to see if your teeth are healthy and you just need maintenance. That way, I can recommend a plan for you to maintain your health so that we can grow old together. You with teeth, me with teeth. Or do you need help? Are some of your teeth rotting? Do you have receding gums or bleeding gums? Whatever it may be, it'll allow me to make a plan so that again we can grow old together. You with teeth and me with teeth, and we can both be smiling at each other.
What are the different types of dental X-rays?
The next question I get is: What are the different types of dental X-rays? The most common type is the two-dimensional ones. They're the black and white ones that are flat. You'll see them, and they will look like my model. The only difference is that they're black and white. The other type is called a 3D or CBCT scan. We use that when patients are interested in implants because now we can see the quality of bone. If I were to take a 3D or CBCT scan, my actual skull will pop up on the screen. It allows us to measure the width and height of the bone, and different things we need to see before placing an implant on our patients. If it's the upper jaw, we need to see because there are sinuses, and we don't want to puncture those sinuses when placing implants, especially in the back. Another one we take using the same machine for the 3D scan is called a pano. It's a two-dimensional black and white image, and it spreads the mouth out. I usually take that on my younger patients aged 2 to 15. That way, I'm able to see the developing adult teeth. For some younger individuals, some adult teeth don't develop, which is not uncommon. As a parent, I would like to know if any of my kids' adult teeth aren't developing. That way, we can have a plan to make sure the baby tooth lasts longer until the child is 18, 19, 20, or 21. Then we can plan how to replace it or work with an orthodontist to close the gap when we take out the baby tooth. We also check if the adult teeth are growing in the space they're supposed to. I've had some patients whose teeth, while developing, got lost and grew incorrectly. The more knowledge we can find out about our individual patients, the better we can plan their dental future towards a healthy future.
Are dental X-rays safe?
The next question is: Are dental X-rays safe? I say 100% with confidence, yes. I have been pregnant through both of my pregnancies and have been around dental X-rays. I've worked through my pregnancies. Absolutely, dental X-rays are safe. Especially the digital ones that we use, which emit fewer waves than your microwave. I know for me, I stand right in front of my microwave waiting for my food to heat up, especially when I'm hungry. Doing that is more dangerous than being around dental X-rays.
Can dental X-rays show periodontal disease?
The next question I get is: Can dental X-rays show periodontal disease? The answer to that is absolutely. Periodontal disease is defined as a condition where a patient's gums and bones are receding, so they aren't gripping onto the tooth as they should be. If you look at this tooth, even though it's black in the middle, it has healthy periodontal health because the gums are where they should be, and the whole root is encased or gripped by the bone. As you move along my model, the gums are pink here, turning red, and now inflamed. The height of the bone compared to here is going down. As periodontal disease progresses, the height of the bone decreases along with the gums. Dental X-rays allow me to see periodontal disease and where the patient is in its progression because there's an early stage, middle stage, and late stage.
Are dental X-rays covered by insurance?
The next question I get is: Are dental X-rays covered by insurance? The answer is yes. Insurance will cover what we call full-mouth X-rays. It allows us to take X-rays that show only the tooth part, top and bottom teeth, and also X-rays that show the tooth and the root part. We do that for the full mouth, all teeth, and insurance covers that once every year, every 2 years, or every 5 years. That depends on the insurance carrier, such as Delta, Metlife, Cigna, and the plan you're on. Typically, if you have dental insurance through your workplace, it depends on the agreement between the insurance and your employer.
If you've gone to, say, a second or third office, and this happens a lot because some people want second or third opinions, if that first dental office took full mouth X-rays and already sent out the bill to your dental insurance, that means your once-a-year dental X-ray benefit has already been used up by that first dental office. If you go to another dental office and they want to take the same full mouth X-rays, it is no longer covered because the first dental office already used up your benefit.
When should I schedule a dental exam?
The next question is: When should I schedule a dental exam? I've got a full range of patients. If you're on top of your dental care and you've just moved to the area or are looking for something better, you know who you are. You're on top of it. Just schedule your next dental visit to coincide with your next dental hygiene appointment. Then we've got other patients who try as they may avoid dentists. I highly encourage you to see a dentist as soon as possible. Even though nothing hurts, gum disease in its early stage doesn't hurt. When teeth first start to rot or break, it doesn't hurt because the rot or breakage is in the non-living part. The common mistake is thinking, "I'm okay, I brush my teeth, nothing hurts," and then I won't see a patient until something hurts. If I ask, 10 patients out of 10 will tell me they would avoid dental pain if they could. The way to do that is to see a dentist as soon as possible. That way, if something is going on, we can catch it at the early stage like this with teeth and not like this when you're in pain, swollen, or can't chew.
I hope I was able to answer some of the questions you may have regarding dental X-rays. If I wasn't able to, I invite you to come in and see me. You can find me at Sunbrite Dental. You can reach me at (702) 819-0866 or, if you're more the email type, you can email me at [email protected]. See you soon.