Do Dental X-Rays Show All Types of Cavities?
When it comes to oral hygiene, cavities can cause many issues for patients. There are many reasons for this. Initially, cavities become tricky because they are hard to spot and therefore to clean on your own. Your dentist can help you with this. No, they don't have superhero vision, but because they have the power of x-rays.
What is a Cavity?
A cavity is present when you’re your tooth begins to decay and a hole forms in your tooth. Bacteria in your mouth will cause decay, turning sugar into acid. This process extracts the mineral from the tooth, ultimately causing a hole.
Once decay penetrates through the enamel layer of the tooth, it will continue to grow. The most common fix of a hole in your tooth is a filling and the worse the decay, the larger the hole and therefore larger the filling will have to be. Deep decay may also require a root canal treatment or tooth removal. As you can see, a cavity can snowball into larger issues and it is very important to catch it early.
The Use of X-rays?
There are several types of x-rays, and they are used for different purposes. Dental x-rays are used to show inside the mouth and parts of the teeth that are not visible to the eye. For example, an x-ray can show the roots, jaw bones, sinuses and jaw joints.
Do X-rays always show cavities?
Dental decay doesn’t mean a cavity is clearly visible. This means an early tooth decay may not show up on an x-ray as it hasn’t yet become a cavity. Therefore, when trying to assess whether decay has started on a tooth, dentists don’t solely rely on x-rays. However, they play an invaluable part in the diagnostic process.
As always, remember that prevention is better than cure, and practicing oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing correctly can save you from the above. However, we understand that not all teeth can be perfect and cavities can be a downside to our every day busy lives.
If you think you may have cavities book a consultation with Dr Kate Amos or Dr Sam Rosehill at Ethical Dental on 6652 3185 or book online.
To find out more about dental cavities check out our article How does dental caries differ from dental cavities?.
