In our dental practice, as in most, we take radiographs annually. Most patients know them as them “x-rays”. These are a vital diagnostic tool, because they reveal both soft tissue and hard tissue changes and abnormalities, plus the relative size of a normally-hidden structure that might impact my treatment decision. Over my years in practice, I have discovered:
* tissue masses that required biopsy, and sometimes removal
* leftover root tips from teeth that had broken, or a large tooth fully impacted in bone
* curved roots on teeth slated for removal, which changes the method used
* hundreds of dental abscesses from the infected nerves of teeth that had no symptoms
* healthy teeth that were periodically painful only because large sinus cavities filled with fluid
* loss of bone structure that supports teeth, signaling disease. If untreated, this results in premature tooth loss and chronic infection.
At Winterset Dental, we take radiation exposure seriously. Even though physicists agree that current materials used to create the needed images now require very little radiation exposure, we drape patients with a lead shield, which blocks it. We invested in digital imaging, a method that enables us to enhance x-rays on the computer, for better diagnostic value, and decreases radiation exposure.
Contact Winterset Dental today to find out which treatment is right for you.