The Importance of Dental X-Rays in Pediatric Dentistry
Almost everyone who has visited the dentist has undergone dental x-rays, also known as dental radiographs. X-rays are a quick and easy way for dentists to get a great overall view of your teeth during a clinical exam.
Dental x-rays are safe and do not cause patients any discomfort. They also play an important role in preventative dental care for children.
Dental x-rays are performed to assess or locate issues that are difficult to diagnose with an exam alone. At Chicago KiDDS Pediatric Dentistry, we use dental x-rays as a diagnostic tool to evaluate various oral health conditions, including cavities, bite alignment issues, etc. We also use x-rays to evaluate dental injuries and smile development of pediatric patients.
Does Your Child Need Dental X-Rays?
Dental x-rays are used in addition to dental exams to assess the health of teeth and the jaw bone structure. Dental x-rays can aid in planning out orthodontic treatment, wisdom tooth extraction, and identifying the source of tooth pain. Your child’s dentist may order x-rays for any of these purposes. They may also order x-rays if your child is a new patient or recently underwent dental work at another practice.
X-rays allow your pediatric dentist to clearly see tight spaces between teeth and all the way down to the roots. X-rays can also aid in preventative treatment by allowing your dentist to locate potential and existing dental issues before they progress. When these problems, like cavities, are treated quickly, they don’t become more serious and costly.
What Are Dental X-Rays Used For?
Below are some examples of what dental x-rays are used for at Chicago KiDDS Pediatric Dentistry:
- Cavity Detection
- Surveying Smile Structure and Development
- Evaluation of Injury (i.e. tooth cracks, breaks, and below-the-surface issues)
- Orthodontic Needs
- Assessing Positions of Wisdom Teeth
Pediatric dental x-rays are an important part of children’s dental care because children’s teeth and jaw bones are still developing. This makes them more susceptible to cavities and structural issues, like tooth gapping, overcrowding, and bite misalignment.
Are Dental X-Rays Safe?
Many people have questioned the risks associated with radiation exposure during x-ray imaging. However, dental x-rays expose patients to a negligible amount of radiation in a modern dentistry setting. At Chicago KiDDS, we also use lead body aprons to minimize exposure and limit x-rays to the area of interest.
Taking x-rays of children’s teeth is essential to protecting their oral health, and the benefits far outweigh the risks. Failure to treat undiagnosed dental problems can result in serious, potentially painful conditions, and the need for expensive, invasive treatment.
Types of Dental X-Rays
There are different types of x-rays that are used to evaluate children’s dental health, including the following:
- Bitewing x-rays provide imaging of teeth in one area of the mouth at a time. This type of x-ray is often used to locate hidden cavities and assess the bone density of the jaw.
- Periapical x-rays focus on only one or two teeth at a time, showing the full length of each tooth from the crown to the root. This aids in the diagnosis of cavities and issues relating to the jaw bone and tooth roots.
- Panoramic x-rays capture an image of the patient’s entire mouth. These x-rays allow your dentist to assess the development of your child’s smile, including emerging or impacted teeth. In some cases, tumors can be detected with this type of imaging, as well.
- Occlusal x-rays provide a full view of the top and/or bottom jaw. These images can be used to see how teeth are fitting together.
- Orthodontic x-rays show the entire side of a patient’s head in order to predict orthodontic needs.
When you’re concerned for the health of your kid’s teeth, an x-ray may be the key to finding an answer to existing dental issues.
Contact our team near Chicago for x-rays, exams, dental cleanings in Chicago, and other preventative pediatric dental care services.
Kids’ Dental X-Rays Near Chicago, IL
Curious to know more about our pediatric dental X-ray recommendations? Get in touch with our staff to schedule an appointment with Chicago KiDDS Pediatric Dentistry today, and protect your child’s smile tomorrow.
