How often do you REALLY need to take dental x-rays?
One question that our dental team in Kitsilano gets asked on a daily basis is “how often do I really need to take dental x-rays?” Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to that question, but here are some important factors that we take into consideration when recommending x-rays to patients.
Our philosophy follows the principles of ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable), and we like to be conservative with the number of x-rays that we take. However, we do believe in regular x-rays to ensure that our patients dental health is as healthy as possible.
First, let’s go over the reasons why x-rays are useful. Most people know that x-rays can
help us detect cavities.
When cavities are in between the teeth, it can be very difficult or completely undetectable by the dentist when doing visual examinations. X-rays allow us to assess the areas that we can’t see and feel. In addition, sometimes x-rays can show us cavities that are just starting, and that don’t need to have fillings yet. Sometimes, these small cavities can stop or “arrest”, meaning that they do not grow larger. Having a history of these x-rays and continuing to do regular x-rays help us stay conservative and watch these cavities regularly to ensure that we do not overtreat our patients and give them fillings that they do not need, while making sure that we catch cavities that do grow bigger before they get too large.
Another aspect of dental health that can be detected with x-rays is the height of bone around the patient. A loss of bone around a tooth can mean several things, such as infection around the tooth and chronic gum disease. Above are examples of an x-ray with no bone loss (left) and an x-ray with moderate bone loss (right). The red lines indicate where the bone levels are compared to the tooth and its roots. The green line on the picture with bone loss indicates where the bone levels used to be when the patient was younger. Having x-rays that span over several years can help us recognize patterns of bone loss and help us create a plan to help each patient’s individual needs.
There are other reasons that regular x-rays are helpful, but we will stick to these main two for today.
So, to answer the question, “how often do I need to get x-rays?”, several factors need to be considered. Typically, I prefer to have x-rays taken of my patients at least every 1-2 years. If a patient has small cavities that we are monitoring, poor gum health, or changes in their medical/physical health, I would recommend yearly x-rays.
If the patient is very healthy, with a history of good dental and gum health, then we could do x-rays every 2 years. Every individual has specific circumstances, so please feel free to ask your hygienist, Dr. Janson, or I to recommend an x-ray timeline for you. I do x-rays on myself yearly just to make sure I don’t have any cavities!
If you have any questions on your dental health, or would like to book in for x-days in our convenient Kitsilano location, please contact us.
**We received permission by these patients to share their x-rays.
Komentarze