| How Are X-Rays Used?
X-ray images are among the most valuable tools a dentist has for keeping your mouth and teeth healthy. They are also called dental radiographs.
For adults, X-rays can:
- Show areas of decay that your dentist may not be able to see just by looking at your teeth, such as tiny pits of decay between teeth
- Find decay under a filling
- Find cracks or other damage in a filling
- Alert the dentist to possible bone loss from periodontal (gum) disease
- Reveal problems in the root canal of a tooth, such as infection or death of the nerve
- Help your dentist plan, prepare and place tooth tooth implants, braces, dentures or other dental work
- Reveal other problems, such as cysts, cancer or changes caused by diseases of the body
For children, X-rays are used to find decay and to monitor tooth growth and development. Dentists also use periodic X-rays to see whether:
- The space in the mouth is big enough to fit all the new teeth
- Permanent teeth are developing and coming in properly
- Extra teeth are developing
- Any teeth are impacted (unable to come through the gums)
Often, catching a small problem in tooth development early can prevent major problems later on.
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