What is Dental Radiology?
Dental radiology is the branch of particular importance for dental medicine helping to establish a diagnosis and, automatically, a correct treatment.
The evolution of radiological equipment has made these investigations extremely complex and precise, but at the same time very safe for patients, the amount of radiation used being very small.
What is dental x-ray?
A dental radiograph represents an image of the targeted area following exposure to X-rays, an image that highlights essential details in establishing and carrying out the treatment.
In our clinic, doctors frequently recommend dental x-rays for accurate diagnosis and treatment. An important aspect is that these x-rays can be done in the clinic, being very convenient and fast for patients.
When a dental tomography is required, it can be performed in specialized radiology centers.
The importance of dental radiology
Many patients do not realize the importance of such an investigation. However, there are many aspects that highlight the role that a simple X-ray can play:
Diagnostic accuracy
As I mentioned before, only with the help of an X-ray, the doctor can make a correct and complete diagnosis, many details being visible only after analyzing such an image.
Detection of dental infections
Although these often have visible signs, many neglect them, a fact that can have extremely dangerous consequences. But, with the help of an X-ray, dental infections are highlighted immediately.
Caries detection
There are areas where cavities can occur without being visible to the naked eye. That’s why a dental x-ray is indicated for the detection of less visible caries, even in the early stages.
Utility in many branches
In addition to diagnosing the above problems, dental x-rays are used in various branches of dentistry such as: orthodontics, implantology, periodontology, endodontics
Are there risks in dental radiology or not?
These fears come from the fact that radiation is often associated with the appearance or development of serious conditions. However, the evolution of equipment in this field makes the radiation dose extremely low, being practically harmless.
The Dentland Clinic is equipped with new, high-performance equipment, equipped with many X-ray filtering systems. The use of modern techniques reduces the risk of dental X-rays to almost zero.
Of all X-ray investigations, dental X-rays are the least irradiating, with the radiation dose emitted being only 0.02 mSv.
Dental x-rays carry much less risk than an undiagnosed and untreated dental problem.
The radiation dose received during dental x-rays is measured in „rem” or „sievert” units.
We are currently exposed daily to radiation from various natural or artificial sources.
All of this represents a much, much higher amount of radiation than that received when taking one or more dental x-rays, whether digital or on film.
What is OPG?
Orthopantomogram represents a panoramic radiological representation of the oral cavity with an extremely important role in dental procedures, from diagnosis to carrying out various treatments.
This type of radiography gives the doctor an overview of the clinical case being studied. The OPG includes both dental arches and shows quite precisely the ratio of the teeth to the neighboring anatomical formations: maxillary sinuses, mandibular canals.
The time when it is usually performed is at the beginning of the treatment, being very important for establishing a correct general diagnosis, identifying certain details undetectable at the clinical examination, carious lesions in early stages, cysts or granulomas, tooth fractures, jaw fractures, tumors , teeth included.
This procedure aims to provide the dentist with information for a more accurate diagnosis and at the same time helps the doctor to verify the success of the treatment in all stages of work.
