dental x-rays

Sep11

The Stewart and Hull Aesthetic and General Dentistry Guide to Dental X-Rays

Categories: General Dentistry

The Stewart and Hull Aesthetic and General Dentistry Guide To Dental X-Rays

Don’t know a periapical from a bitewing? Today’s dental blog takes a look at dental

x-rays.

Panoramic
If you have ever stood in a huge camera apparatus and struggled to stay motionless while an automated camera made one slow pass around your head, then you have had a panoramic x-ray taken of your mouth. These pictures help dentists see everything in one image: the complete upper and lower jaw. These are often taken during a patient’s first visit to Stewart and Hull Aesthetic and General Dentistry. They are also very helpful for evaluating jaw injuries, calcification in the carotid artery, tumors and seeing emerging teeth in children.

Bitewing
Bitewing x-rays help Dr. Stewart and Dr. Hull see what’s going on between teeth and evaluate the bone levels supporting the teeth – something that is always needed but impossible with a visual exam.

Periapical
These are similar to bitewing x-rays but they can get a clearer picture of the tooth roots and bone. These are often used to help diagnose an abscess in the root of a tooth.

Full-Mouth Series 
This is a combination of periapical and bitewing x-rays that gives a comprehensive picture of all the teeth and surrounding bone structure.

If you are pregnant and need a dental x-ray at Stewart and Hull Aesthetic and General Dentistry, it is essential to let Dr. Stewart and Dr. Hull know this before x-rays are taken. X-rays are not necessarily dangerous for pregnant women, but they are often postponed until after delivery as a precaution. If you are pregnant but have a dental issue, call our office right away. We can be reached at 616-784-2377.

We hope you have learned a little bit about dental x-rays, one of Dr. Stewart and Dr. Hull’s indispensable tools in providing unsurpassed dental care in Comstock Park. Check back often for more specifics about dentistry at Stewart and Hull Aesthetic and General Dentistry.

Apr20

Dental X-rays and Brain Cancer

Categories: Dentistry

There has been a lot of discussion about the safety of dental bitewing x-rays lately. A study was recently published which linked bitewing x-rays to an increased risk of getting a benign brain tumor called meningioma. This study did not employ the scientific method to its investigation of facts and is questionable on many levels, including:

1. The study relied on patients’ memories for the patients’ dental histories years earlier
2. The study did not have documented dates and radiation exposure levels for patients
3. The study included patients who received the x-rays in the 1960’s when radiation levels were higher and the film speed was slower

We now have digital x-rays, which use up to 80% less radiation than current film x-rays. The bottom line for all of our patients is that we consider digital bitewing x-rays safe. One digital bitewing x-ray exposes you to less radiation than you get on a plane flight. Dental x-rays are a valuable tool in allowing us to treat oral health problems in the early stage and are still recommended by the American Dental Association. If you have concerns about digital x-rays, please let us know and we will discuss them with you. We will never recommend any treatment for you that we do not feel is necessary or that would not be in your best interest.