X-Rays Used in Dentistry

X-Rays Used in Dentistry

X-ray play an important diagnostic role in dentistry, too. The usual clinical examination is often inadequate, because it is limited to the visible surfaces of the teeth and the superficial tissues of the mouth. Certain areas of the teeth cannot be examined except by X-rays. The chronic infections at the end of tooth roots which contribute to grave systemic disease rarely give warning by local symptoms or visible changes. Decay in the contact surface of teeth may invade the tooth pulp before being discovered by instrumental examination.

When you have your teeth X-rayed, the radiographs show the state of health of each tooth, down to the bony socket where the root of the tooth is imbedded. They show a cavity which is hidden by another tooth. Or they may show an abscess way down at the tip of a tooth that looks healthy.