Do Dental X-rays Show Periodontal Issues?

When you head to the dentist’s office for your biannual checkup, you might worry that your dental practitioner will discover a cavity. However, your regular dental exam includes screenings of other vital areas of your oral health, your gums being one of them. The gum issue known as periodontal disease is the primary source of tooth decay and eventual tooth loss among adults ages 18 and over in the U.S., which is why it is imperative that they are examined.

Microbes in your mouth shape a sticky film on your teeth called plaque. Inability to remove this plaque with regular brushing and flossing enables plaque to solidify into tartar. Tartar development disturbs and causes inflammation in your gums, prompting swelling. This first phase of periodontal infection is gingivitis. Untreated gingivitis advances to periodontitis.
Bacteria can hide in pockets between your gums and teeth. As the pockets extend, more tartar, plaque, and germs gather underneath the gums, prompting the loss of bone and connective tissue around your teeth. Without the bone and stable tendons to hold your teeth in their sockets, they become loose and may fall out.

While surveying your periodontal health in a regular appointment, your dental practitioner checks the health of your gums and search for loss of gum tissue. They also look for the receding of the gums, especially to the point where the base of the teeth is visible. They also check for zones or pockets of substantial plaque or tartar and measure the values of each of these around every tooth.

Your dental specialist utilizes x-rays to find the causes of periodontal disease as well as to decide the best route for treatment.

After any periodontal procedure, your dental specialist works with you on a support plan by having regularly scheduled appointments to follow up with your gum disease. The x-rays you undergo before your surgery show your dentist your dental habits and become the standard for all future x-rays. X-rays also give your dentist an easy way to see infections, bone exposure, and pockets of plaque to keep treating your periodontal disease.

Here at All Smiles Dentistry , a dental office in Lake Jackson, Texas, we provide the resources and trained staff you need to be periodontal disease free. Worried you may have periodontal disease or want to learn more about what to expect during a periodontal x-ray? Discover more about our periodontal treatment options on our website, or make an appointment online to get the process started.

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