Digital Dental X-Rays in Vancouver
Skilled and experienced dental professionals at Dentist on Kingsway are well-equipped to perform your digital dental x-rays safely and responsibly.
By requesting a digital dental x-ray at your next appointment with Dentist on Kingsway, Vancouver patients may help trace and monitor a wide range of developments in the state of their oral health and detect potential dental maladies and hazards before they pose more serious dangers.
Let’s take a closer look into what digital dental x-rays are, the role they play in maintaining your dental health, and address some of the concerns they often raise.
What Is a Digital X-Ray?
A digital dental x-ray uses a blast of concentrated electromagnetic radiation which penetrates your body to for an image.
Denser structures like bones are able to absorb the flow of light and radiation from the x-ray to provide your dentist with an unobstructed view of your teeth and jaws.
The denser structures of your teeth and jaws such as metal crowns will appear white when viewed on a digital dental x-ray.
Air will show up as black on the x-ray while structures such as your teeth and tissues will appear as varying shades of gray.
Digital dental x-rays may be used to monitor developments in the state of your dental health. This is why many dentists prefer to order x-rays at regular appointment intervals to collect the most accurate record of your dental health possible.
Beyond this, digital dental x-rays can be used to diagnose a number of potential dental maladies and help your dentist make educated decisions when it comes to your treatment.
Digital dental x-rays may be used to detect and diagnose cavities, damaged roots, periodontal disease, the presence and development of wisdom teeth, and much more.
Types of Digital X-Rays
Digital dental x-rays come in a variety of different shapes and sizes.
Panoramic Dental X-ray
A panoramic dental x-ray provides a broad view of the teeth, jaws, and nasal/sinus area. Panoramic x-rays are commonly used to determine whether certain orthodontic procedures may be necessary.
Occlusal Dental X-ray
Occlusal dental x-rays provide Dentist on Kingsway staff with a view of the floor of your mouth, allowing them to gain a clearer view of your upper and lower jaw and bite.
This type of digital dental x-ray is used to monitor the development of adult and baby teeth in children.
Bite-wing Dental X-ray
Bite-wing dental x-rays provide a view of the posterior teeth. This provides your dentist with a better idea of how and where your upper and lower teeth touch each other.
This type of x-ray can also shed light on which teeth show signs of decay.
Periapical Dental X-ray
Periapical dental x-rays provide your dentist with a more complete image of a tooth or teeth. It can show them everything from crown to bone in order to detect and diagnose issues on an individual basis.
Are Digital X-Rays Safe?
Of course, as with any medical procedure, digital dental x-rays come with a host of common concerns. The most common concern dentists must address in regards to x-rays is whether or not it’s safe.
This concern clearly stems from the fact that a digital dental x-ray involves exposing your mouth to potentially hazardous radiation.
Radiation of any nature has the potential to be hazardous. However, we are exposed to radiation any time we come into contact with light. Of course, the radiation we’re exposed to on a daily basis is not nearly as concentrated as the radiation involved with a digital dental x-ray.
The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements states that about half of the radiation we’re exposed to throughout the course of the year come from man-made sources.
Most of this man-made radiation comes from medical imaging procedures such as digital dental x-rays.
This means that, while a dental x-ray may account for most of our yearly man-made radiation exposure, it doesn’t put anyone significantly above the average annual radiation exposure we’re already estimated to receive.
Many choose to believe that medical x-rays (dental or otherwise) are a necessary evil in keeping us healthy and free of illness and disease.
What Are the Benefits of Digital X-Rays?
Digital dental x-rays provide a wide variety of benefits to Vancouver patients.
X-rays are a fantastic tool dentists can use to monitor the development of your teeth and jaws.
This is especially significant for children who are in the process of developing their adult teeth and teens/adults with wisdom teeth that are at risk of becoming impacted.
Digital dental x-rays can also assist in detecting and diagnosing cavities and periodontal diseases.
X-rays can play a deciding role in determining whether procedures such as dental realignment using braces or Invisalign treatment, root canals, crowns, or veneers are appropriate for a particular patient.
The many benefits that digital dental x-rays provide tip the scales against the concerns many patients may have towards them.
Consult With a Dentist Today
Dentist on Kingsway has been helping Vancouver residents monitor and treat their dental health using digital dental x-rays for years!
Our friendly and professional staff are more than happy to address any questions, fears, and concerns you may have at any point during the x-ray imaging process.
For digital dental x-rays in Vancouver, call the experts at Dentist on Kingsway today! You can reach the staff at Dentist on Kingsway over the phone at (604) 558-2442 or request an appointment online.
A number of factors come into play when estimating the cost of a digital dental x-ray. Most x-rays are reported to cost anywhere between $15 and $200 depending on type of x-ray needed. Keep in mind, however, that most patients will only be responsible for a fraction of this cost based on their insurance coverage and provider.
The short answer is, technically, yes. However, x-rays are typically no more dangerous than the radiation you’re exposed to naturally over the course of a year. The benefits of receiving a digital dental x-ray far outweigh the fairly minimal risks and hazards they may entail.
The x-ray itself is completely painless. However, the positioning and preparation required to capture the necessary images may be a source of mild discomfort at the most.
