Cosmetic
Diagnostic
Extreme Makeover
Family Services
Missing Teeth
Pain Management

X-Rays

“Do I really need a dental X-ray?” While digital dental x-rays detect cavities, they also can detect much more.

If you think you can’t afford to have X-rays taken at your dental exam, consider whether you can afford to skip them:

  • In the United States, 30,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer each year – and 8,000 will die from it.
  • Your risk of developing oral cancer increases with tobacco use or consumption of more than 3 oz. of alcohol per day (equivalent to two beers a week).
  • About one of every two people diagnosed with oral cancer will survive for five years.

In the early stages, oral cancer is usually not painful. This is the ideal time for your dentist to identify it in the mouth or by X-ray. Dental X-rays are the only way your dentist can see if tumors are growing in your jaws and beneath the surface of your gums. Without regular dental X-rays, by the time the cancer is detected it may have grown and spread, dramatically decreasing chances for survival.

The American Cancer Society recommends having a dental examination and dental X-rays every six months. The organization believes that X-rays pose very little danger to patients from exposure to radiation, as “most medical and dental x-rays are adjusted to deliver the lowest dose possible without sacrificing image quality."

In addition detecting oral cancer, dental X-rays provide your dentist with valuable information about the health of your teeth and jaw, including developing cavities and tooth decay that may not yet be clinically visible. This allows your dentist to treat minor dental problems before they become major ones – and helps reduce the need for procedures like root canals and extractions.

Sources:
1. U.S. Dept. of Heath and Human Services. Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Rockville, MD, National Institutes of Health, 2000.
2. Facts of Oral Cancer. American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA.
3. Oral Cancer: What is your Risk? American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA.
4. Mashberg A Samit AM. Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Management of Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer. CA Cancer Journal for Clinicians.