44th Street Dental An Introduction to Panoramic Dental X-rays

he discovery of dental x-rays was announced to the world in December 1895, but things have come a long way since then. While you may be familiar with a type of x-rays called bitewing x-rays, here’s what you need to know about a new option available at a dentist near you — panoramic x-rays.

What is unique about panoramic x-rays?

Panoramic x-rays capture an image of your entire mouth — and beyond — in just a single shot. Dentists use a panoramic x-ray in Edina to get a picture of your entire mouth, jaw, all your teeth, several bones contained in your head and neck and other anatomical structures in the same region (such as your sinuses). The scope of a panoramic x-rays sets it apart from a more traditional bitewing x-ray.

Unlike panoramic x-rays that take a wide, global view of your entire mouth, jaw, teeth and beyond, a bitewing x-ray captures a close-up view of teeth. A bitewing x-ray capably depicts cavities in individual teeth but can not detect any broader or systemic issues affecting the tissues and bones of your jaw, face, head, and neck.

How are panoramic x-rays taken?

Your dentist recommends that you undergo a panoramic x-ray every three to five years to give them a complete and comprehensive image of all of the structures and tissues relevant to your dental health. Taking an x-ray is entirely painless and takes just 30 seconds. The process is as follows:

• The staff at the dental clinic near you will place your head in a precise position to allow the image to be captured. You won’t have to freeze and hold your head in any position. Rather, your dentist’s staff will use the chin, forehead, and side rests to support your head comfortably
• Your dentist’s staff will also have you bite on a mouthguard-like device to hold your teeth and jaw stably in the necessary position to provide the images sought
• Once your head and jaw have been placed in the precise position, all you have to do is stay still for a few seconds while the panoramic x-ray camera rotates around your head.

While many dental insurance benefits plans include coverage for panoramic x-rays, not all policies do so. Where no benefits coverage is available, you may have to pay out of pocket to have a panoramic x-ray taken. That cost is minimized, though, by the fact that they’re only recommended every three to five years.

Why will your dentist in Edina recommend a panoramic x-ray?

Bitewing x-rays have served dentists and patients well for a long time. Your dentist is committed, though, to making the advantages of constant technological innovations available to you. For that reason, dentists make significant financial and training investments in new technology — because they provide more and better information to help keep you healthy. Here are five reasons your dentist may recommend you undergo a panoramic x-ray:

• An image showing your entire head, neck, and jaw helps your dentist to see how each element fits with each other and to detect cysts, tumours, and growths that may indicate problems
• Panoramic x-rays that provide a global view of all tissues and structures rather than narrowly focusing on individual teeth permit early detection of dental issues when they can be treated quickly and less invasively
• Panoramic x-rays help dentists detect indications of oral cancer as early as possible and before that cancer spreads beyond the tissues of your mouth
• Taking a panoramic x-ray approximately every three to five years will allow your dentist to track gradual changes to your teeth and jaw over time, including changes to your bone and the positions of your teeth
• Panoramic x-rays provide information essential to providing essential dental treatment at all ages — whether as children, teens, or adults — such as any need for orthodontic care, the emergence of wisdom teeth, or detecting early signs of oral cancer.