Check-ups and dental x-rays
How often check-ups and x-rays are needed, what imaging shows, radiation questions and what a thorough exam includes.
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Should you get a dental checkup before a long trip?
If you are due for a check-up, have a tooth that has been twinging, a loose or missing filling, a cracked tooth under observation, or a treatment plan you have been…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Dental imaging during pregnancy: questions to discuss with your dentist
ADA and FDA guidance treats dental x-rays as acceptable during pregnancy when they are needed to diagnose or treat a problem, because the exposure is small and aimed…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
How to prepare for a dental visit when you have sensitive teeth
Tell the office about the sensitivity when you request the appointment, note which teeth react, to what (cold, air, touch, sweet) and for how long, and keep using a…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
How dentists personalize prevention for a high cavity risk
A high cavity risk means the dentist found several factors that favor decay, such as recent cavities, dry mouth, frequent sugar or acid exposure, exposed roots, many…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
What a dental appointment should include before cosmetic treatment
Before any cosmetic treatment, the appointment should establish that the mouth is healthy enough to build on: a health and medication history, an examination of every…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
What happens during an oral cancer screening?
An oral cancer screening is a short visual and tactile examination of the lips, cheeks, gums, tongue (top, sides and underneath), floor and roof of the mouth, throat and…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
How to read the main findings in your dental exam
An exam report is a set of observations grouped by tooth and by tissue: teeth and existing restorations, gums and bone, bite, soft tissues, x-ray findings, each tied to…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Bitewing, panoramic, and 3D dental images: why the choice matters
Each image answers a different question. Bitewings show decay between back teeth and the bone level near the crowns; periapical films show a whole tooth to its root tip…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
What a dental checkup can find before you feel pain
Most common dental problems are painless until they are advanced. A check-up can usually find early decay, gum inflammation and bone loss, cracked or worn teeth, failing…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
A six-month dental recall is not the right schedule for everyone
Six months is a tradition, not a rule. A Cochrane review found little difference in outcomes between fixed six-month recalls and risk-based intervals for adults at low…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Should you bring old x-rays to a new dentist?
Yes. Earlier images let the new dentist compare how a tooth, filling or bone level has changed over time, and they can mean fewer repeat exposures; the FDA and ADA…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
What to tell your dentist when you have a strong gag reflex
Tell the office before the visit that you gag easily, when it happens (x-ray sensors, impressions, cleaning the back teeth, lying flat), and what has helped before…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Professional cleaning versus polishing: what each can do
Polishing is usually one step at the end of a routine cleaning (a prophylaxis); it smooths the tooth surface and lifts surface stain. The cleaning itself (scaling)…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Why your dental checkup includes your bite
The bite check looks at how the upper and lower teeth meet when you close and slide, because uneven or heavy contacts can explain worn or chipped edges, cracked teeth…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Can you have a dental exam without committing to treatment?
Yes. An examination is a diagnostic visit, and the American Dental Association's Code of Ethics recognizes the patient's right to be informed and to decide, including to…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
What to ask before agreeing to a 3D dental scan
A 3D scan (cone-beam CT) is justified when it answers a specific question that a clinical exam and ordinary x-rays cannot, such as the position of bone, nerves and…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Can a digital dental scan replace an impression?
In many situations, yes. For a single crown, published systematic reviews report that crowns made from a digital scan fit about as well as those made from a conventional…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Why your dentist asks about medications before looking at your teeth
Because what is in your medicine cabinet changes what is safe and sensible to do in your mouth. Some medications affect bleeding, some affect how the jawbone heals after…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
A dental cleaning and a dental exam do different jobs: what each one checks
A cleaning and an exam answer different questions. A cleaning removes plaque, tartar and stain that brushing and flossing cannot, and is usually paired with gum…
- Check-ups and dental x-rays
Do you need dental X-rays at every check-up?
Not necessarily. Dental X-rays are prescribed after an examination, not taken on a fixed calendar. National guidance from the American Dental Association, developed with…