X-Rays

Dental X-rays are an essential preventative and diagnostic tool. They provide valuable information not visible during a regular dental exam.  Dentists and dental hygienists use this information to safely and accurately detect hidden dental abnormalities and complete an accurate treatment plan.  Without X-rays, problem areas may go undetected. Detecting and treating dental problems at an early stage can save time, money, unnecessary discomfort, and your teeth!

Dental X-rays may reveal:

• Decay between the teeth.
• Problems inside a tooth or below the gum line.
• Bone loss or periodontal disease.
• Cancerous and non-cancerous tumors, abscesses or cysts.
• Developmental abnormalities.
• Wisdom teeth.

Staying current with the latest technologies is just one of the ways that West Allis Dental Care brings you some of the best dental care in West Allis and Milwaukee. West Allis Dental Care uses digital X-rays (radiographs) to provide you with the newest and most effective diagnostic technology available. Digital radiographs have a number of advantages:

• Digital X-rays may be viewed seconds after being taken.
• Digital X-rays are much clearer and provide color contrast, which makes them easier to read than a film-processed image.
• X-ray images may be manipulated by rotating, magnifying or sectioning the image.
• Digital X-ray equipment exposes the patient to as much as 80% less radiation than older X-ray technologies.
• Use of digital X-rays contributes to our efforts toward a paperless office, which is environmentally responsible.

How often should dental X-rays be taken?

The need for dental X-rays depends on each patient’s individual dental health needs.  Your dentist and dental hygienist will recommend necessary X-rays (radiographs) based on the review of your medical and dental history, dental exam, signs and symptoms, age considerations, and risk for disease.

A full mouth series of dental X-rays is recommended for new patients and retaken every few years thereafter. Bite-wing X-rays (X-rays of top and bottom teeth biting together) are taken at check-up visits and are recommended once or twice a year to detect new dental problems.