Monday, November 25, 2013

Use of Radiography (X-ray) in Dentistry

Dental radiographs, x-rays are the pictures of the teeth and also bones and tissues that support teeth. These x-rays are taken for finding out the problem with the teeth, jaw and mouth. X-rays show things that are not easily visible during dental examination/checkup. In this article, we will discuss the types of dental x-rays in dentistry.

Types of dental X-ray procedures
There are two types of dental X-ray procedures, namely, extra oral (X-ray film outside the mouth) and intra oral (X-ray inside the mouth)

Intra Oral X-rays

These x-rays are commonly used by dentists. Intra oral x-rays allows a dentist to find out cavities, checking the health of the bone that surrounds teeth and also the roots of the teeth.
There are different types of Intra oral x-rays showing various aspects of the teeth.

1) PR (Periapical X-rays)
This x-ray shows full tooth, from the crown till the beyond of the tooth roots in the jaw. These x-rays are used for detecting any abnormalities in the structure of the entire tooth.

2) Occlusal X-rays
These are larger and shows full development of the tooth. Moreover, it reveals the whole arch of the teeth in lower or upper jaw as needed.

3) Bitewing
These X-rays are used for checking the teeth form crown upto the end roots. These X-ray procedure is helpful in finding the decay in between the teeth, gum disease and also tooth alignment problems. Sometime. It is used for measuring bone loss due to advanced stage of gum disease known as periodontitis.

Extra oral X-rays
This shows teeth but mainly focuses on jaw and skull. Extra oral x-rays are used to look for impacted tooth, monitoring growth and development of jaw and teeth, identifying problems in teeth and jaw and temporomandibular joint or other facial bones.

There are different types of extra oral x-rays:
1) CT (Computed tomography)
Also known as CT scan that shows the interior structure of the body. CT scans are performed in radiology centers or hospitals rather than in a dental office which is used for identifying problems with facial bones like fractures and tumors. Further, it is used for evaluation of bone for placing dental implants and complicated extractions. This will help surgeon avoid complications during surgery.

2) Panoramic X-rays
These X-rays show the whole mouth area which means all the teeth in lower as well as upper jaw in a single X-ray. There is a special x-ray machine for panoramic x-rays. The main focus of these X-rays is on the position of the emerged teeth as well as emerging ones and also identifying impacted tooth.

3) Cephalometric projections
These x-rays show the whole side of the head. Cephalometric projections are used to examine the  teeth with relation to jaw and facial bones. These type of X-rays are used by orthodontists to plan their treatment.

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