Hello Everyone! Its been a long time since I have written a post. My apologies, Dream Dental Group has been growing so fast, its been difficult finding the time to write a quality blog post. Thank you to all of our wonderful patients who have been so loyal to us and have also been kind enough to refer their family and friends. As you know, we are ALWAYS accepting new patients. The topic of discussion today is dental x-rays.
Dental x-rays or radiographs are a necessary part of the diagnostic process we use to detect cavities, bone loss as a result of gum disease and pathologies or abnormalities in the structures of the mouth and jaws that cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are an essential part of the diagnostic process and are considered very safe. In fact, patients who do not get a radiographic examination of their teeth and surrounding structures regularly are put at an increased risk for harmful conditions to go unnoticed. These conditions may cause pain, infection, tooth loss or much worse.
How often should x-rays be taken? This depends on your present oral health, your age, your risk for disease, and any signs and symptoms of oral disease you may be experiencing. It is considered the “standard of care” in dentistry for your dentist to obtain a full mouth set of x-rays at least every 5 years for adults and then “check-up” x-rays every 1 to 2 years depending on the patient’s overall oral health. Some situations warrant more frequent x-rays than others. For example, children may need x-rays more often than adults because their teeth and jaws are still developing, and also because their teeth are more prone to decay than adults.
Overall, x-rays are prescribed for each patient based on their individual age, health and needs. If a patient is new to Dream Dental Group, the x-rays taken at their previous dentist can often be transfered to us. This helps in reducing the amount of new x-rays that need to be taken.
Patients often express concern about the amount of radiation exposure when dental x-rays are taken. Please be aware that every precaution is taken to minimize the amount of radiation exposure to the patient. At Dream Dental Group, we utilize digital x-rays. This is done through the use of a digital panoramic machine and small digital x-ray sensors instead of film. Through the use of digital x-rays we are able to reduce the amount of radiation exposure by up to 80%. Our digital panoramic machine, the PlanMeca ProONE, can take an x-ray of the whole jaw in one image. I am proud to say this particular machine emits the lowest amount of radiation than any other machine of its kind currently on the market.
One must always remember that we are exposed to radiation on a daily basis and the amount of radiation exposure from dental x-rays is a tiny fraction of the overall exposure we get from things like microwaves, cellular phones, computers, the sun, the earth, and atmospheric radiation. The benefit of an early diagnosis and treatment from x-ray findings usually outweigh the negative of a very small amount of radiation.
If you have any other questions about the risks, benefits and alternatives to dental x-rays please feel free to ask. We love educating our patients, and future patients. Especially those from our surrounding communities such as Novi, White Lake, Commerce Township, and Walled Lake. I hope to see you soon!





















