What do dental X-rays show?
An exam shows the surfaces of your teeth that can be seen and reached. X-rays show what cannot:
- Decay between the teeth, on the surfaces where two teeth touch.
- Decay under the edge of an old filling or crown.
- The level of the bone around each root, which shows how far gum disease has gone.
- An infection at the tip of a root, which can be there before it hurts.
- In children, the adult teeth forming beneath the baby teeth, and how they are coming in.
Do you need X-rays at every visit?
No. X-rays are taken when there is a reason for them, not as a matter of routine at every visit. How often that comes around depends on your mouth: someone who gets cavities often may need a check between the teeth sooner than someone who rarely does. We will tell you why before we take any.
The usual reasons are these:
- You are new to the office and have no recent X-rays from another dentist.
- A tooth hurts, is sensitive, or may be cracked, and we need to see inside it.
- It is time to check between the teeth, where decay hides from view.
- Your gums are being measured or treated, and the bone level matters.
- A root canal, a crown or an extraction is being planned.
Digital sensors and exposure
The exposure from a dental X-ray is small, and digital sensors need a fraction of the exposure that film did. A sensor rests in your mouth for a moment while the picture is taken, and there is no film to develop. Digital sensors are one part of the technology we use.
Keeping exposure low is also about taking only what is needed, for a reason, which is why X-rays here are not routine at every visit. If you are pregnant or think you might be, tell us before any X-ray, and we will talk through whether it needs to be taken now.
Your X-rays on the screen beside you
A digital X-ray comes straight up on the screen beside the chair. You see what we see, and we point to it: a shadow between two teeth, the edge of an old filling, the line of the bone around a root. It is much easier to make a decision about treatment when you have seen the reason for it yourself.
The images are kept with your records, so at later visits we can compare them and see whether a spot we are watching has changed. That comparison is how we decide whether a small spot can reasonably be watched or needs treating.
Coming from another dentist? Send your X-rays
If another office has taken X-rays of your teeth in the last year or two, ask them to send copies before your first visit. It can save taking them again. Older images are useful too, because they show how things have changed over time.
Call your previous office, ask them to send your X-rays to Pearisburg Dental Center, and give them our number, 540-921-3323, if they need it. Your first visit covers what else to bring.
Does insurance cover dental X-rays?
Most dental plans cover X-rays as part of diagnostic and preventive care, with limits on how often each kind is paid for. If you are not sure where your plan stands, call with the details and we will check before any are taken. We file the claim for you; see insurance for the plans we work with.
No dental insurance? The Virginia Dental Club is a membership plan for people without it. It is not insurance, so there is no deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting period.
Questions patients ask
Are dental X-rays safe?
The exposure is small, and digital sensors need a fraction of the exposure film did. We take X-rays only when there is a reason for them. If you are pregnant or might be, tell us first.
Why do some cavities only show up on an X-ray?
Many cavities start on the surfaces where two teeth touch, which nobody can see or reach by looking. On an X-ray they show up as a shadow, often while they are still small enough for a simple filling.
My last dentist took X-rays. Will I need new ones?
Maybe not. If they are recent, ask your previous office to send them before your visit, and we may be able to work from them. If you have none, we take whatever is needed.
How often should I have dental X-rays?
It depends on your mouth rather than the calendar. Someone who rarely gets cavities needs them less often than someone who gets them frequently. We will tell you why we are suggesting them each time.
Do children need dental X-rays?
Sometimes, when there is a reason: to check between back teeth that touch, or to see how the adult teeth are forming. The rule is the same as for adults, only when an X-ray will tell us something we need to know.