Merely mentioning the word x-ray to my patients can bring up fear, unpleasantry, and an automatic association to cancer and birth defects. Our society is laden with cancer, and because the disease touches all of us in one way or another, we have been inundated with information about preventing various forms of cancer.Orthodontic X-rays are a form of radiation and radiation of any kind can pose a risk to our health, but it is important to realize that radiation has many important and beneficial uses.
X-rays in the practices of dentistry and orthodontics are used to routinely diagnose and treat a number of conditions that could otherwise not be diagnosed properly. At Aesthetic Orthodontics we take x-rays before and after treatment. As an orthodontist, I work not only with teeth, but with the entire dental-facial complex of teeth, bones, lips, joints, sinuses, cartilage, nerves, and muscles. X-rays help me determine if there are underlying structural or alignment issues with the jaw and teeth. They also help me determine in which direction teeth will likely grow or move, and to evaluate the relationship of teeth to other neighboring structures.