Radiographs, or X-Rays, are one of Dr. Kelson’s most vital tools in detecting decay, bone loss and infection, gum disease, abscesses abnormalities, and some types of tumors. Decay that can not be seen with the naked eye can be detected by a radiograph.
We take dental radiographs when the health benefit outweighs the health risk. The benefit of early diagnosis of dental conditions outweighs the risk of waiting until an emergency or allowing disease to progress unknowingly. For a patient who has a higher risk for dental disease, the benefit of more frequent radiographs is greater than the benefit for a patient with a low risk for dental disease. Therefore, the need for dental radiographs is determined and recommended on an individual basis rather than a general timeline. Typically at your initial visit a full mouth radiograph scan is needed to provide a chronical of patient history and monitor progress of any decay or progression of disease in subsequent visits.
There are reasons however, that a patient should not receive dental radiographs. For this and other reasons, a thorough medical history is taken and reviewed at each appointment.. Again, each patient is different, and their needs will determine how Dr. Kelson evaluates the need for radiographs. |
