Modern dental x-ray machines can take an x-ray picture of all of your teeth in just one picture. While we still need to occasionally get close ups of a tooth root or look very closely between teeth, the “panoramic” x-ray has greatly reduced the need for dozens of “intra-oral” close-ups (periapicals or bitewings). And no thorough dental exam is complete without this x-ray information. Again, we are not just looking for cavities but also tumors, infections, fractures, and systemic diseases signs too. Modern digital dental x-rays use a tiny fraction of radiation compared to hospital x-rays or Cat-scans. Dental x-rays are barely more than what is known as “background radiation” that we normally get from the sun outdoors!
More and more research is revealing the strong link between your oral health and general bodily health. A chronically infected mouth can have severe consequences for your heart! Bacteria can circulate from the mouth throughout your body causing damage in other organ systems. A clean, healthy and happy mouth is an important step to overall health.