Dental x-rays reveal

• Abscesses or cysts

• Bone loss

• Tumors (cancerous and non-cancerous)

• Decay between teeth and under old restorations

• Developmental abnormalities

• Poor tooth and root positions

• Problems inside a tooth or below the gum line

Detecting and treating dental problems at an early stage saves you time, money, and unnecessary discomfort, not to mention your teeth!

Dental x-ray safety

We are all exposed to "natural background radiation" from our environment. The amount of exposure from four bite-wing x-rays is equal to the amount of radiation a person receives over three days from natural sources.

Dental x-rays produce a low level of radiation and are considered safe. We take necessary precautions to limit our patient's exposure to radiation when taking dental x-rays. These precautions include using lead apron shields to protect the body and using modern, high speed film that cuts down the exposure time of each x-ray.

How frequently should dental x-rays be taken?

The need for dental x-rays depends on each individual's oral health needs. We base our recommendations on a review of your medical and dental history, dental exam, signs and symptoms, age consideration, and risk for disease.

A full mouth series is required for new patients. The full series is usually updated every five years. This assures us that there are no undetected dental pathologies in the areas of your teeth and jaws.

Bite-wing x-rays are taken during our patient's recall maintenance cleanings and are generally recommended once or twice a year (case dependent) to detect early onset dental problems.

The long term success of rehabilitation following dental therapy depends on you. With proper home care and routine hygiene appointments long term success is greatly improved.

Home care starts with eating balanced meals, reducing the number of snacks you eat, and correctly using the various dental aids recommended by our office that help control the amount of "bacterial plaque" which causes dental cavities and periodontal disease.

This is why we spend time educating our patients about the proper brush-floss-rinse technique and the importance of routine professional dental care.

Periodontitis is a disease marked by inflammation and destruction of the surrounding tissues of your teeth. These tissues make up the foundation that supports your teeth within your jaw. The periodontal tissues include: the gums and the fibrous attachment that hold the gum line against your teeth; the ligaments which anchor the teeth in the boney sockets; and the jaw bone. The periodontal tissues become infected and inflamed when specific "bacterial plaque" develops around teeth and remains their without proper home care and professional attention. This disease is often painless, progressive and can eventually lead to tooth loss.

Periodontal treatment methods depend upon the severity of the disease. After careful evaluation for this disease our patients will receive the appropriate treatment.

If diagnosed in the early stages of gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and no damage has occurred to the remaining underlying periodontal tissues, one or two cleanings will be recommended within a short period of time. During this time our hygienists and dentists will provide home care instructions and recommend the appropriate schedule of recall maintenance cleanings to prevent the recurrence of this infection. With proper home care and professional attention, early detection will prevent more costly surgical treatments.

If this disease has progressed to more advanced stages, a periodontal cleaning called scaling and root planning will be recommended. In this procedure bacterial plaque, calculus/tartar, and bacterial toxins are removed from above and below the gum line (scaling) and rough areas on the root surfaces are made smooth (planning). This treatment is usually done under local anesthetics (numbing the teeth) and requires two to three appointments. Following this therapy we evaluate the healing phase closely through recall appointments. We may recommend oral medication, a medicated mouth wash, and specific dental aids to improve home care. If the tissues do not heal properly we may consider periodontal surgery to improve home care and maintenance.