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The question is obviously asked - why take dental x-ray's? Do we need them? Is it excessive
to take dental x-rays?
In dentistry, when we look in someone's mouth, we can see the top of the persons tooth, the
outside of the tooth and the inside of the tooth. But we cannot see where the teeth meet
and we cannot see under the teeth.
Seeing where the teeth meet and under the teeth are a really important part of a thorough
diagnosis.
There are going to be lots of cases I can show you that will outline to you the presence
of a cyst. In this case we didn't think there was any decay and there were hardly any fillings
in this persons mouth.
We took an x-ray, and we found a huge cyst under one of the unerupted wisdom teeth -- a
really important finding.
Underlying infections and the tips of teeth, which we otherwise would not have had any
clue about, can usually be seen on an x-ray. There are also other areas of dental pathology
that we would not know if we didn't take an x-ray.
If you want a thorough dental examination, you cannot avoid dental x-rays.
Having said that, at Sydney Holistic Dental Centre we've been using digital x-rays, for
the last 15 years. Digital x-rays are really important improvement because they produce
90% less radiation than a normal x-ray. We're well aware of the problems, and we take the
precautions necessary to minimise the exposure.
Remember, if you're wanting a detailed dental examination, dental x-rays are really important.