Everyone knows that routine dental checkups are necessary for maintaining good oral health. Regular dental X-rays are an important part of those checkups — but not everyone understands why.
As a top-rated dental practice in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York, Union Square Dental uses state-of-the-art digital X-rays to help patients enjoy optimal oral health at every age. Here’s what Kateryna Grytsenko, DDS, Yuliya Kanatova, DDS, and their team want you to know about the importance of having dental X-rays on a regular basis.
During your exam, your dentist takes time to carefully evaluate each tooth, searching for tiny signs of damage or decay that need prompt treatment. At the same time, they look for signs of gum disease and unusual changes in your gums and soft tissues. All of these visual exams are important for keeping your teeth healthy — but they’re limited by what is immediately visible.
Dental X-rays identify problems below your gums or between teeth. X-rays also show the inside of the tooth, from tip to root, as well as your jawbones and the rest of your mouth, where deep infections can occur, along with tumors, cysts, and other problems that are best treated when caught early.
Your X-rays are also invaluable for looking for early signs of cavities, identifying tiny fissures that might not be easily visible during an exam, and identifying gum disease in its earliest stages. And of course, X-rays are also important for evaluating impacted teeth or mapping out treatments, like root canals or dental implant placement.
While you don’t need to have dental X-rays with every checkup, our team recommends getting them once each year. Regular X-rays provide an in-depth look at your oral health, along with an ongoing record of your teeth and gums.
These images are important for helping us to spot subtle changes that could be very early signs of developing problems. Having X-rays annually is important for patients of all ages, as well as patients who’ve had all their teeth replaced by dentures or implants.
At our practice, we use digital technology to capture X-ray images of our patients’ teeth. Digital X-rays are quick and painless, and the equipment and related devices aren’t as bulky, so you don’t have to worry about gagging.
Digital technology also captures far more data than traditional X-rays. Each X-ray offers a 3D view of your teeth, gums, and bones, helping your dentist model a treatment plan in real-time, based on your needs. Special filters and different views allow us to spot small issues that might otherwise be missed.
Digital X-rays also use far less radiation energy compared to traditional X-rays. While all dental X-rays are safe, less radiation exposure is certainly a good thing — and it’s one more factor that helps our patients feel comfortable about having X-rays taken regularly to help them maintain their oral health.
Digital X-rays play an important role in helping you enjoy a lifetime of healthy, beautiful smiles. To learn more about the X-ray technology we use or to schedule a checkup, call 212-675-7877 to request an appointment with the team at Union Square Dental today.
