Dental X-Rays in Kitchener
A tooth can look perfectly normal from the outside and still be the reason your whole jaw aches. That’s why dental X-rays come up at almost every urgent visit to Fairway Dental in Kitchener. The image shows us roots, bone and the inside of the tooth, which are the places most dental pain actually starts. Below we explain what the different X-rays are for, how little radiation they involve, and how we decide which ones you need.
Why the dentist needs a picture before treating you
About two thirds of each tooth sits under the gum. When you come in with pain or after an injury, the dentist can see the crown, feel for looseness and tap on teeth to find the sore one. That narrows things down. It doesn’t tell us whether a root is cracked, whether decay has reached the nerve, or whether there’s an infection sitting at the tip of the root.
Treating without that information means guessing, and guessing in dentistry can mean doing the wrong procedure on the wrong tooth. An X-ray takes a few seconds and often changes the plan. A tooth that seemed to need a simple filling might show a deep abscess. A tooth you were sure was the problem might be fine, with the real culprit one tooth over.
Things X-rays help us find
- Decay between teeth or under old fillings and crowns
- Infection or abscesses at the root tip
- Cracks or fractures in roots after a fall or blow
- Wisdom teeth that are stuck or growing at an angle
- Bone loss from gum disease
- Pieces of tooth or foreign material lodged in the gum
- How close decay is to the nerve, which affects whether a root canal is needed
Types of dental X-rays
Not every X-ray is the same. The dentist picks the view that answers the question at hand, and in an urgent visit that usually means one or two small images rather than a full set.
Periapical
This is the workhorse for emergencies. A periapical image shows one or two teeth from the tip of the crown to the end of the root, plus the bone around it. If you have a toothache or a suspected abscess, this is the view we’ll most likely take.
Bitewing
You bite down on a small tab and the image captures the upper and lower back teeth together. Bitewings are good at spotting decay between teeth, which is hard to see by eye. They’re more common at checkups but can help when we’re trying to find which tooth is causing sensitivity.
Panoramic
A panoramic X-ray sweeps around your head and produces one wide image of both jaws, all the teeth, the jaw joints and the sinuses. It’s useful for wisdom teeth, jaw pain, trauma that might involve the jawbone, and getting an overall picture when several teeth are involved.
Occlusal
Less common, this view looks at the floor or roof of the mouth. It can help with children’s developing teeth, extra teeth, or objects that have been pushed into the soft tissue.
How much radiation is involved
This is the question we hear most, and it’s a fair one. Modern dental X-rays use a very small dose. A single small dental image is a tiny fraction of what you’d get from a chest X-ray, and in the same general range as the natural background radiation everyone absorbs over a day or so just from living on the planet. Digital sensors need less exposure than old film did, and the beam is aimed at a small area.
We still follow the principle that you should get only the images that are needed. If you’ve had recent X-rays at another office, tell us. With your permission we can ask for a copy, which may save you from having them retaken.
Lead aprons and thyroid collars
Practices around the shielding vary and guidelines have changed over the years as equipment has improved. If you’d feel more comfortable with an apron or collar, just ask and we’ll talk it through with you.
X-rays during pregnancy
Tell us if you are or might be pregnant. Dental care during pregnancy is safe and encouraged, and an untreated infection is a bigger concern than a small, targeted image. Still, the dentist will think carefully about whether an X-ray is really needed right now or whether it can wait, and will explain the reasoning so you can decide together.
Children and X-rays
Kids’ mouths change fast. Baby teeth are being lost, adult teeth are coming in, and decay can move quickly through thin baby tooth enamel. After a fall or a knock to the face, an X-ray shows whether the adult tooth underneath was affected, which you’d never know from looking. We keep images to the minimum needed and use child-sized sensors so it’s more comfortable.
What having an X-ray feels like
For most images you’ll sit in the chair while the assistant places a small sensor in your mouth and asks you to bite gently or hold still. The machine is positioned against your cheek, and the exposure lasts a second or less. That’s it. The picture appears on the screen almost straight away, so the dentist can show you what they’re seeing.
If you have a strong gag reflex, tell the assistant before they start. Breathing slowly through your nose, tilting your head slightly forward and getting the sensor in and out quickly all help. For a panoramic image nothing goes in your mouth except a small bite piece.
Reading the image together
We’d rather you understand your X-ray than just take our word for it. Once the picture is up on the screen, the dentist will point out what matters. Healthy enamel and bone show up light. Decay, infection and gaps in bone show up as darker areas. A dark spot at the bottom of a root, for example, often means infection has spread out of the tooth into the surrounding bone.
Some findings are obvious. Others are subtle, and the dentist may compare the sore side with the other side of your mouth, or with older images if you have them. Occasionally an X-ray doesn’t show anything definite, especially with very early cracks. In that case we combine it with other tests, like checking how the tooth reacts to cold or to biting on a small stick, before deciding on treatment. You’ll leave knowing what we saw and why we’re recommending what we are.
Questions patients ask
Can I refuse an X-ray?
Yes, it’s your choice. The dentist will explain what they can and can’t tell without one, and in some situations they may not be able to safely do a particular treatment without seeing the root or bone first.
Can you send my X-rays to my regular dentist?
Yes. Many of our urgent patients have a family dentist elsewhere. Let us know where to send them and we’ll forward the images and a note about what we did.
How often should I have dental X-rays?
It depends on your age, your history of cavities and your gum health. Some adults with healthy teeth go a couple of years between bitewings, while people with frequent decay or ongoing treatment need them more often. Your dentist will base it on your mouth rather than a fixed schedule.
If you’re dealing with pain or an injury and want to know what’s going on under the surface, call Fairway Dental in Kitchener at 519-893-9494. We’ll examine the area, take whatever X-rays are needed, and talk you through what they show.
Related treatments
Questions or ready to book? Contact our Kitchener office or call 519-893-9494.
