Digital dental x-rays in Petaluma, CA
At North Bay Smiles, keeping your smile healthy and disease-free is our top priority. This includes examining your mouth on a regular basis to ensure that there are no issues that need to be addressed. While some oral health problems are visible to the naked eye, the mouth is a complex structure that consists of several components that can only be seen through imaging technologies such as x-rays. We use digital dental x-rays for preventive and diagnostic purposes to help keep smiles healthy in the Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Santa Rosa, Novato, and surrounding CA communities.
Why dental x-rays are important
Your mouth consists of several structures that are not possible to see with a simple visual examination. Dental x-rays enable Dr. Szyperski to see what is happening beneath the surface of your teeth so she can detect and diagnose issues such as:
- Cavities and tooth decay
- Decay beneath existing dental restorations
- Bone loss
- Changes in the root canal or bone due to bacterial infection
- Abscesses
- Cysts
In addition, dental x-rays can be used to determine how a child’s mouth is growing, whether new teeth are coming in and if there is sufficient room for them, and to plan out future dental treatments.
There are several different types of dental x-rays. Among the most used are panoramic x-rays, which are full mouth x-rays that show both the upper and lower jaws in one picture. Bitewing x-rays are also very commonly used to show the details of the teeth in one specific location of the mouth.
Benefits of digital x-rays
Dr. Szyperski has equipped her dental office with the latest digital x-ray technology. Digital x-rays have many benefits:
- They provide more detailed images of the teeth and bone
- The images can be enlarged to get a better view of areas of concern
- They use 80 to 90 percent less radiation compared to the already low amount of radiation of traditional dental x-rays
- They are easily stored on a computer and can be shown to you chairside to help you see what is happening in your mouth
To schedule an appointment for you or a member of your family, call North Bay Smiles in Petaluma, CA today! (707) 306-8001