Dr. Joy Lunan, of the Middlebury, CT area shares the Whos, Whys and Whats of dental xrays:

WHY do I need an x-ray?    Dental X-rays (or radiographs) are images of your teeth that Dr. Joy Lunan uses to evaluate your oral health. These X-rays are used with low levels of radiation to capture images of the interior of your teeth and gums. This can help Dr. Lunan and her team to identify problems, like cavities, tooth decay, and impacted teeth.

Dental X-rays may seem complex, but they’re actually very common tools that are just as important as your teeth cleanings. 

Early stages of tooth decay usually does not show many physical signs. The teeth may appear to be healthy, but an x-ray will show your dental team whether you have decay under the enamel, any possible infections that are beginning or bone loss around your teeth. Dr. Lunan needs to see between your teeth and under the edges of your fillings in order to do a proper dental exam. Finding problems early will save you both time and money.  In children, x-rays are used to see where adult teeth are located and when they will errupt. They are also used in determining if a patients wisdom teeth need to be extracted. 

HOW often should I have x-rays?   If you are a new patient for Dr. Lunan, her team will suggest that you have x-rays unless you have had them very recently. This way she and her team can thoroughly assess your oral health. After this, x-rays are recommended once a year typically.

WHO do the x-rays belong to?   X-rays are an important part of your health records. Some offices ask for a small fee for copies if you get them yourself. Some ask that you sign a release form to get them transferred to a different dental office. They are the property of your current dentist unless you sign a release form in most cases. 

WHAT will an x-ray show?   X-rays can show any decay that may not be seen directly in your mouth. Decay under a filling or in between teeth is essentially what is being checked. X-rays can show if you have an infection in the roots of your teeth and how severe the infection is.  They can show bone loss, any impacted wisdom teeth and, also - in children, if there is enough space for adult teeth to errupt into the mouth. 

ARE X-rays dangerous?   The amount of radiation we get from dental x-rays is negligible. We get more radiation from natural sources like the sun and soil and from our general environment. You should always tell Dr. Lunan if you are pregnant. Her team will not take xrays during this time.

WHAT types of x-rays are there?    There are various types of x-rays. Some show only one or two teeth and their roots, while others can show several teeth at once. The most common taken in Dr. Joy Lunan’s dental office are small and are taken once a year to regularly check on the condition of your teeth. These show the areas in between the teeth and the roots of the teeth as well. Larger x-rays, that include the whole mouth, including the bone structure are called panoramic x-rays. Dr. Lunan’s office uses digital x-rays. These use even less radiation than traditional x-rays, get displayed immediately after the x-ray is taken leaving no waiting time, and are better quality images. 

WHY does the dental team leave the room during an x-ray?  Dr. Lunan and her team might take hundreds of x-rays every single week. Multiply that by all the weeks worked in a year. Dental staff  limit the amount of radiation to themselves by moving away from the x-ray beam. The risk to patients in very minimal from routine xrays once a year. 

If you should have any questions or concerns about dental x-rays other than what is mentioned here feel free to call Dr. Joy Lunan’s dental office.   203-598-7920   www.middlebury.com