Monongalia County Health Department
  • HOME
  • SERVICES
  • News
    • Press Releases
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • MCHD Blog >
      • blog highlights
    • Video Library
    • Health Statistics
    • Education and Training
    • Posters
  • Dentistry
    • SMILE Express >
      • Portable SMILE Express Location Contact Form
      • SMILE Express Location Contact Form
      • Smile Express Referral Partner
    • Dental Services
    • Make an Appointment
    • Patients >
      • Child First Visit
      • Adult First Visit
      • Payment Options
    • Our Team
    • Contact
    • MCHD Dentistry Blog
  • Environmental
    • Contact Environmental
    • Food
    • Food Safety Training
    • Septic & Wells
    • Housing & Institutions
    • Recreation
    • Pools
    • Tattoo & Body Piercing
    • Rabies Control
    • Clean Indoor Air
    • Radon
    • Disaster Sanitation
    • Tanning
    • Fee Schedule
    • Online Permit Renewal
    • About Environmental Health
  • Clinics
    • Reproductive Health >
      • Family Planning
      • Adolescent Health
    • STD and HIV >
      • Syphilis
    • Immunizations >
      • Travel Clinic
      • School Immunizations
    • Communicable Disease >
      • TB Program
      • Influenza
      • Pertussis
    • Providers
  • Preparedness
    • COVID Dashboard
    • COVID-19
    • Testing & Vaccines
    • COVID-19 Links
    • COVID-19 Guidance
    • Mon Co. COVID-19 Stats
    • COVID-19 Press Releases
    • Recent Events
  • WIC
    • WIC Services
    • WIC Eligibilty Guidelines
    • WIC News
    • Doddridge County WIC
    • Harrison County WIC
    • Marion County WIC
    • Monongalia County WIC
    • Preston County WIC
    • Taylor County WIC
    • Breastfeeding
  • Mon QRT
    • QRT Press Releases
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Our Location
    • Board of Health >
      • BOH Meeting Agenda
    • Meeting Rooms
    • Job Opportunities
    • Notice of Privacy Practices

Digital radiographs FAQ's

3/25/2015

 
Pictureby Tiffany Summerlin, RDH
Digital Radiographs FAQ’s

At MCHD Dentistry we have some of the most modern and safe methods of taking radiographs that are currently available.  Here are a few common questions we get from our patients about having radiographs done.  Let us know if there are any other questions we can answer for you!

Why do I need to have a dental x-ray (radiograph)?  

                When Dr. Carrier or your dental hygienist takes a look in your mouth, they are only seeing about ¾ of your tooth surfaces.  Without a dental radiograph it is impossible to make an assessment of the overall health of your teeth.  In many cases we are able to better understand the overall health of your gums and bone as well, what we call your periodontium.  It is our philosophy at MCHD Dentistry to provide you with the best and most conservative care so we encourage taking radiographs as a new patient and also at about every 12 months, depending on the health status of your mouth.  Why wait until something hurts and is very expensive to have it restored when we can see it very early with a radiograph?

Why do I need them every year?

                Many things with your oral cavity can change in a year.  It is a great resource to be able to go back in time and compare radiographs taken every year to see if something is evolving, getting worse, or is just staying the same.  It will help cue us in on the best action to take.

How many different types of radiographs are you going to take?

                Here at MCHD Dentistry we take a panoramic and bitewings on all new patients.  A panoramic is a great resource that will tell us a lot about your dental history- what teeth have been extracted, what has been restored, and the general health of your temporomandibular joint (TMJ).  It is also a good tool for diagnosing many pathologies that may be asymptomatic such as cysts, carotid stenosis, and many others.  Bitewing radiographs show us mainly the area between your teeth and the height of the bone that supports the teeth.  They will also show us if you have excessive hard deposits (tarter or calculus) on your teeth from lack of cleanings or flossing.

                If you have a tooth that is bothering you or are in need of a deep cleaning, we will also take periapical radiographs.  Periapical simply means “around the tip of the root”.  These radiographs show us the health of the bone and periodontal ligament that support your teeth.  These will show if you have an abscess, bone defect, periodontal disease and many other things.

Are they safe?

                Dental radiographs are historically very low in radiation doses, especially now that digital radiography has become widely used.  Here at MCHD Dentistry we only use digital technology for both our panoramic and intraoral (bitewing and periapical) radiographs that affords for a lower radiation amount and also a much better quality final image.  Most radiographs are under the equivalent of radiation exposure of spending the day outside. 

Will it hurt?

Having a radiograph taken should not hurt.  There are specific methods that we employ to make it the least uncomfortable, and it is our goal to provide you with pain-free radiographs.  While it is not the easiest thing to do, we can get past most obstacles using our knowledge and experience.

    Morgantown WV Dentist Blog

    Is there a dental topic you would like us to talk about? If your answer is not in the archives, send us a message and we will add it to our blog! 


    Archives

    November 2020
    April 2017
    March 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All
    Allergies
    Appointments
    Assistant
    Bitewings
    Bruxing
    Changes
    Community
    Diet
    Drug
    Eruption
    Fluoride
    Free
    GKAS
    Insurance
    Invisalign
    Kids
    Medication
    Nightguard
    Oral Hygiene
    Panoramic
    Patients
    Periapical
    Pharmacy
    Protocol
    Radiation
    Radiographs
    Renovation
    Safety
    Sterilization
    Toothbrushing
    Volunteer
    Xrays

    MCHD Dentistry
    453 Van Voorhis Road
    Morgantown, WV 26505
    304-598-5108 Phone

    304-598-5110 Fax
    www.mchddentistry.com
Picture
Lee B. Smith, MD, JD
Health Officer
Monongalia County
Health Department

453 Van Voorhis Road
Morgantown, WV 26505
Hours M-F 8:30-4:30
(304) 598-5100


Home Page
MCHD Services
Public Health Nursing
Environmental Health
WIC Program
MCHD Dentistry
Threat Preparedness
Food Safety Training

Provider Information
Health Statistics

Contact Us
Location/Directions
Training Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Privacy Practices
Website Notices

Contact Us
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter