Dental x-rays help your dentist see areas of your smile that are not visible during a standard exam. This helps in identifying areas that may need additional attention, as well as assists in treatment planning. To schedule your visit, call Paramount Dental at (916) 333-0609.
Schedule A Dental X-Rays Consultation
Benefits of Dental X-Rays
Dental x-rays are an important diagnostic tool because they help your dentist evaluate what cannot be seen during a visual exam alone.
X-rays may help your dentist:
- Detect cavities between teeth or beneath existing fillings and crowns
- Evaluate bone levels affected by gum disease
- Identify infection, cysts, tumors, abscesses, or other concerns below the gumline
- Check impacted teeth or teeth that have not erupted properly
- Examine tooth roots, jawbone structure, and soft tissues
- Evaluate tooth pain, swelling, trauma, bite problems, or changes in existing dental work
Your dentist will likely recommend having an x-ray completed as part of your dental examination as well as prior to starting any treatments such as restorations, extractions, orthodontics or implants.
Dental X-Rays Procedure and Process
Dental x-rays are typically quick and noninvasive. Here is a breakdown of the process.
Review of Your Needs
Before recommending x-rays, the dental team reviews your dental history, medical history, symptoms, risk factors, and the date of your most recent images. X-rays are only recommended when they provide useful information for diagnosis, prevention, or treatment planning.
Type of X-Rays Taken
There are various types of x-rays that help image different parts of the mouth. Here is a brief overview:
- Bitewing X-rays provide images of the crowns of the back teeth as well as the bone levels between them. Most often, they are used to check for cavities between teeth and changes in bone health.
- Periapical X-rays show an entire tooth from the crown to the root tip. They may be used for unexplained tooth pain, infection, swelling, or trauma.
- Panoramic X-rays are used to examine the position of all the teeth in both jaws. Panoramic x-rays help with impacted teeth, oral surgery planning, orthodontic evaluations and for jaw concerns.
Image Capture
Once you are positioned correctly over the x-ray machine or device, the technician will ask you to remain as still as possible so that clear images can be obtained. The amount of time it takes will vary depending on the number and type of x-rays ordered.
Reviewing Your Images
After the images are taken, your dentist reviews them and then discusses any concerns and recommends when a follow-up appointment or treatment is necessary.
Using X-rays in Treatment Planning
X-rays guide preventive care and help identify dental concerns that may need additional treatment. Sometimes treatment includes, filling a tooth, treating damaged gums, root canal therapy, tooth extraction, orthodontic care, or dental implant planning.
Candidacy & Alternatives
Typically, all new patients need x-rays taken to create a baseline record of their starting oral health. For returning patients, x-rays are usually recommended during preventive visits to monitor changes to your baseline images, or when symptoms, risk factors, or new treatment planning requires more up-to-date or detailed images.
X-rays are recommended by your dental team when a patient experiences:
- Pain or sensitivity unaccounted for by a visual exam
- Oral swelling or signs of an abscess or infection
- Broken or fractured teeth
- Symptoms indicating gum disease or loss of bone density
- Teeth that are not erupting properly or impacted wisdom teeth
- An existing filling, crown, bridge, implant, or other dental restoration that is failing
- A new orthodontic, implant, extraction, or restorative treatment plan that requires x-ray images to ensure proper placement.
There is no replacement or alternative for dental x-rays, however, they work well when used in conjunction with visual exams, periodontal measurements, intraoral photos, digital scans, and other diagnostic tools.
X-ray Cost & Dental Insurance Coverage
The cost of dental x-rays is dependent on the type of images taken, how many are needed, whether they are part of an exam, and whether they accompany other diagnostic services.
Most dental insurance plans cover preventive or diagnostic x-rays, but coverage rules, frequency limits, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs vary by plan. Our Elk Grove office team is happy to review your benefits and estimate costs before care begins.
Post X-ray Recommendations
No recovery is needed after dental X-rays. Once your images are taken, your dentist will review the findings and let you know whether any follow-up care is recommended.
To maintain your oral health after your visit:
- Follow through with any recommended exams, cleanings, or treatment
- Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste
- Clean between your teeth using floss or another recommended tool once daily
- Schedule routine exam and cleaning visits as recommended
- Call our Elk Grove office at (916) 333-0609 if you develop tooth pain, swelling, bleeding gums, a broken tooth, or bite changes
Future X-rays are recommended only when necessary for continued prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, or treatment planning purposes.
Dental X-Rays FAQs
Why are dental x-rays needed?
Dental radiographs (x-rays) help your dentist evaluate areas of your mouth that cannot be seen during a visual examination.
Are dental x-rays safe?
Yes, they are. Dental x-rays use low radiation levels, and imaging machines are designed to limit exposure. In addition, your dentist recommends x-rays only when of benefit to you as the patient.
How often do I need dental x-rays?
The frequency will depend on your age, overall oral and gum health, symptoms, and treatment needs. On average, most healthy adults have bitewing x-rays once or twice a year and panoramic x-rays every few years.
What are bitewing x-rays used for?
Bitewing x-rays help determine if there is decay between teeth, evaluate bone levels, check the condition of existing restorations, and monitor tooth development in younger patients.
What are periapical x-rays?
Periapical x-rays provide images of a specific tooth from the crown to the root tip. They are often recommended for unexplained tooth pain, infection, swelling, trauma, or other single-tooth concerns.
What is a panoramic X-ray?
A panoramic X-ray captures an image of both jaws containing all the teeth in one picture. It helps evaluate impacted teeth, jaw concerns, dental development, orthodontic needs, and oral surgery planning.
Do dental x-rays hurt?
No. Dental x-rays are noninvasive and should not hurt. You may be asked to bite gently on a small sensor or stay still for a short time while the image is captured which may be temporarily uncomfortable for some more sensitive patients.
Are dental x-rays taken at every visit?
No. X-rays are recommended based on your individual needs which includes your dental history, symptoms, risk level and previous images taken.
Dental x-rays help the Elk Grove Paramount Dental team make informed treatment recommendations and detect concerns that may not be visible during a standard exam.