Parents: Three Excellent Reasons You Should Not Fear Dental X-Rays for Your Children

Dentist Blog

Are you a parent who is leery about your child getting x-rays performed as part of their dental care? Perhaps you are concerned because x-rays utilize radiation. The following are a few things you need to understand about dental x-rays, and hopefully, these things will put your concerns at ease. 

There are different types of x-ray technology. 

If radiation exposure is your primary concern, you should aim to be an informed parent by inquiring with your child's pediatric dentist about the type of x-ray technology they use. For example, digital x-ray technology is an option that exposes patients to significantly less radiation. Perhaps you have environmental concerns too. If so, you likely know that certain x-ray technology uses various chemicals such as dyes, which can be harmful to the environment. Digital x-rays are an appealing option for this concern too because digital X-rays do not require harmful chemicals to get clear images. 

Without x-rays, your child is at risk for undetected cavities.

Your child's dentist may not be able to detect cavities in certain areas of your child's mouth without x-rays. For example, the outer surfaces of your child's teeth may appear to be remarkable, but your child could have early decay between their teeth, and that kind of decay can be difficult or impossible to see with the naked eye or magnification equipment. This is especially true for teeth that are situated close together; plaque can get trapped between the tight spaces where your child's toothbrush cannot remove it. This can leave your child at risk for cavities that get worse over time. Cavity detection and treatment are integral to good dental health.

There might be structural changes in your child's mouth that are not apparent. 

When you think of your child getting older, you know that they will likely get taller and mature physically in other ways. However, you may have never considered that changes in your child's mouth structure can also occur. These changes may not be obvious initially. This is why dental x-rays are a valuable tool for dentists to use to detect changes or signs of future problems. For example, the pediatric dentist might detect that your child's teeth are at risk for pushing through the gums in a "crowded" manner. Preventive steps can be taken to prevent this or reduce the severity of it. A pediatric dentist is a good resource to use to understand other benefits of dental x-rays for your child. 

Talk to a dentist at an organization such as Edwardsville Family Dentist for more information. 

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16 November 2016

Maximizing Your Smile Power

As a busy professional, my public appearance is very important to me. Networking with potential clients and business contacts is as much about the image you present as it is about what you do and what you know. I take care to look my best every day by taking special care with my hair, makeup, and clothes. But for a long time, I was embarrassed about my smile, and restricted myself to tight, closed mouth smiles to hide my yellowed, crooked teeth. Then I discovered what cosmetic dentistry could do for me. With the help of a great cosmetic dentist, I decided to have tooth whitening treatments and use corrective tooth straightening equipment. Now I have no problem flashing a big, white smile everywhere I go. You can do the same thing! Find out how cosmetic dentistry can maximize your smile power and improve your life.