If you’ve ever been subjected to dental x-rays, you know there’s typically a grueling process involved where uncomfortable plates get put in your mouth, and you spend the entire visit under a heavy leaden bib. As technology has advanced new techniques, have been developed to help not only speed up this process but reduce the amount of radiation involved and improve the quality of the resultant x-rays. Panoramic X-Rays are one such solution that has come out of the laboratory and is now a standard of dental practice.
So What Is A Panoramic X-Ray?
As the name implies, it’s a full picture of all your teeth and the entirety of your jaw in a single image. Remember those uncomfortable plates that we mentioned earlier? Those plates that were put into your mouth contained the film that the image was captured on, but for a panoramic x-ray, the film remains in the x-ray machine itself. Through advancements in x-ray and dental technology, they’ve been able to develop this technique to use less radiation and ensure that they capture your entire jaw in a way that makes it easy for the dentist to reference.
How Are Panoramic X-Rays Used?
X-rays are commonly taken to be used as a diagnostic tool for your oral health treatment, allowing them to identify tooth and bone decay, as well as the formation of any cysts. In the event that oral cancer is starting to take foot, the x-rays can detect this, as well as revealing the beginning of TMJ disorders, conditions that affect the jaw. Finally, they are often used to diagnose sinusitis and impacted teeth such as wisdom teeth.
Do I Need To Do Anything Special To Prepare?
Thankfully there’s no special preparation needed for a panoramic x-ray, but you will be asked to don a lead bib before the treatment to ensure you experience as little radiation exposure as possible. The level of x-rays you’re exposed to during the procedure is generally less than you experience from a sunny day outside, but precautions are still taken just to be sure. If you’re pregnant, you should be sure you bring this up to your physician as they choose not to take the x-ray or will take extra steps to ensure the fetus isn’t affected.
How Does A Panoramic X-Ray Work?
X-Rays are generated within the machine, a form of radiation that passes through most things, including the body. A tiny burst is released as the x-ray tube moves in a half-circle around your head, covering the entirety of the jaw in a single sweep. The x-rays are then caught in a detector that rotates opposite the emitter tube, which transfers the image into a digital format. The days of physical films have primarily passed, saving money for everyone and protecting the environment.
If you’ve got further questions about panoramic X-rays, be sure to contact Dr. Alireza Movassaghi at the Alvarado Family Dental Center. They’ve been helping patients in Walnut Park, CA area get excellent dental health care, and would be proud to welcome your family to their practice as well. Call today to schedule an appointment!