Dental X-Rays & Imaging

Dental X-Rays & Imaging

At Brand Dental, dental X-rays and digital imaging are a vital part of understanding your teeth and oral health. By fully digitizing our office, we provide safer diagnostic images for our patients while making our practice more environmentally friendly. Find out more about dental X-rays and imaging offered at our Kingston, PA office, and schedule an appointment with us today!

What are Dental X-Rays & Imaging?

Dental X-rays and digital imaging are tools in dentistry to help properly diagnose patients’ oral health. Dental X-rays are digital images of your teeth and gums used to help find abnormalities and form a precise treatment plan. Without imaging, problem areas may go undetected until the issues are more severe and costly to treat.

What Do We Look For?

When we take X-rays or imaging, we are looking for the following issues:

Decay Between Teeth
Bone Loss or Root Resorption
Cysts and Abscesses
Tooth and Root Positioning
Irregularities in Tooth Development
Internal Problems and Issues Below the Gum Line
Jaw and TMJ Issues
Noncancerous or Cancerous Tumors

Types of Dental X-Rays & Imaging

Bitewings are commonly taken to evaluate the crowns of the upper and lower teeth to assess for decay and bone loss.
Periapicals are used to focus on a specific tooth from the crown to the root.
Occlusals are used to examine the upper and lower bone structures for tumors, bone loss, and salivary gland blockage.
Panoramics are taken to examine the entire upper and lower jaw and teeth. It is also used to evaluate wisdom teeth, placement for implants, development of cysts, and jaw issues.
Cone Beam CT Scans (CBCT) are a 3-dimensional X-ray of the teeth, bones, soft tissue, and nerve pathways of the entire mouth.
HD Intra-Oral Photos are actual photos of your teeth taken by a dental camera and used to see dental issues firsthand.

How Does It Work?

When taking dental X-rays, a special sensor is placed in your mouth, and an X-ray tube is positioned by your cheek. The digital image is then captured and produced using dental software. Other dental X-rays don’t require a sensor to be placed in the mouth but rather go around your head to capture the image.

The Benefits of Dental Imaging

Dental imaging benefits you by being able to catch problems in their early stages and helps your dentist diagnose and care for you properly. Dental X-rays provide your dentist with a clear picture of your oral health, because some dental issues are not seen by the naked eye.

How Often are X-rays Needed?

Traditionally, bitewing X-rays are taken once a year, and a panoramic X-ray is taken every 3-5 years.

If there is a specific area we are monitoring, it may be necessary to check in more often. But, if you’re making every cleaning appointment and your home-care is excellent, you may need X-rays less frequently.

What to Expect

We will do our very best to make the process as quick and painless as possible. Your safety and comfort is extremely important to us, which is why we use:

The latest technology in digital imaging
A limited amount of radiation exposure
A lead apron and thyroid collar to protect all your vital organs
Advise against X-rays on expecting mothers

Schedule Appointment

Has it been a while since your last check-up? Schedule an appointment with Brand Dental to get a better idea of what is going on with your dental health at our Kingston, PA office.