Digital X-rays
Using the most advanced dental technology possible is just as important as staying up to date on the latest treatment techniques. Because our practice is dedicated to providing your child with the safest and most convenient treatment options available, we utilize advanced digital X-ray technology in our office.
Is a digital X-ray really safer?
Because we care about your child’s bodily health and well-being, we believe that reducing the amount of radiation exposure is extremely important. Although the amount of radiation used in dental X-rays is very small, the effect is cumulative, so all radiation counts. Digital X-rays can reduce your child’s exposure to radiation by up to 80 percent!
What are the advantages of digital X-rays?
X-ray examinations provide us with essential information about your child’s teeth, roots, jaws, and other structures of the head and neck. Some reasons they may be used:
- diagnosing cavities between touching teeth that can’t be seen by visual exam
- identifying bone infections or diseases (including tumors)
- checking for eruption/ development of teeth (including diagnosing extra or missing teeth, misshaped or malformed teeth, under or oversized teeth, and misaligned or impacted teeth)
- determine alignment of jaws for orthodontic purposes
- diagnosing fractures in roots or bone after trauma to head and neck
- monitoring tooth injuries for signs of infection or need for intervention
- recording for identification purposes (dental x-rays are widely used to identify victims in tragedies and rule out others)
Our office is very sensitive to concerns about exposure to radiation and will reduce your child’s exposure as much as possible. We prescribe x-rays based on the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, our clinical expertise, and using the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Allowable). All this being said, we will not willfully supervise neglectful care of your child by allowing refusal of x-rays every time they are recommended.
Please ask us why we are taking x-rays or what we are looking for and we will be happy to answer your questions. We reserve the right to dismiss patients from our care who repeatedly refuse to comply with our recommended standards of care. Please note we will not treat dental problems or complete operative procedures without up-to-date x-rays.
Need for x-rays varies with development and dental health. Children generally require x-rays more often than adults due to a faster rate of development and a higher susceptibility to tooth decay. (For example the average child over the age of 3 gets check-up films yearly and a developmental film called a Panoramic x-ray every 3-5 years or ideally at ages 6,11, and 16)
