Photographs at the dentist's office

If you have had a new patient exam at Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, part of your appointment was dedicated to taking pictures of your face, smile and teeth. Depending on where you previously received care, this may have seemed like a strange proposition. However, photography is an increasingly useful tool in the modern dental practice that allows us to better serve our patients. 

In it's most simple form, photography gives us a baseline idea of how your teeth look. While x-rays allow us to see cavities, infections and bone levels, nothing short of a traditional photograph can clue us into the cosmetic history of your teeth. If, God forbid, you were in an accident that damaged your anterior teeth, these images would help us recreate your smile most accurately. Additionally, photos help us track changes over time. Acid erosion, staining and orthodontic movement are all best recorded using traditional photography.

In addition to creating a cosmetic record, photographs can help us in billing your insurance. Many times, insurance companies will not cover certain treatments unless they were used to treat tooth decay. This becomes a problem on the chewing surfaces of teeth,  where decay is usually visible to the naked eye but poorly imaged on x-rays. By the time decay on these surfaces is visible on an x-ray, the cavity usually extends almost entirely to the tooth nerve. In contrast, photographs allow us to document decay early and reduce the number of hiccups between you and your insurance provider. 

In total, photography is not a replacement for standard x-rays. However, they are a safe, quick and reliable supplement that helps us better serve our patients. If you have any more questions about dental photography, our exams or any other service offered at Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, please give us a call. We are always here to serve any and all of your dental needs!

Dental Questions: Can a dentist diagnose decay in the mouth that is not evident on an x-ray?

Yes, it is absolutely possible to diagnose decay in the mouth from a visual exam with a mirror and explorer.  Decay on the biting surfaces of the teeth can often be hiding in a pit, groove or fissure of the outer enamel layer. On a visual exam, the area can look like a dark spot in the white of the enamel or an explorer can get stuck in the cavitation. The x-ray won’t show the decay in this area if is still primarily in the enamel layer. However, once decay spreads past this first layer of defense and lands in the internal dentin layer of the tooth, it will definitely show up on an xray.

Take a look at the following pictures, taken from the same patient in the same appointment:

In reviewing the radiographs, there is no apparent decay in this patient’s molars. There aren’t any suspicious shadows or defects in the enamel and the teeth generally look healthy. 

However, a visual examination reveals the beginnings of a cavity forming in the two maxillary molars. The geography of the tooth allows the decay to be hidden as the three dimensional object is translated into a 2D X-ray. Conversely, not all pit and fissure stains are cavities. Dentists can recognise unique shapes, patterns and texture changes in teeth that differentiate staining from active decay. This further highlights the importance of the entire dental exam to make a proper diagnosis. 

New Technology- DEXsheild X-Ray Sheild

The DEXsheild is a black ring that focuses the radiation produced by an X-Ray beam to the exact dimensions of our digital sensors.

When receiving medical, dental or pharmaceutical care, safety is everyone’s main concern. Adverse reactions, side effects and allergies can all make a treatment undesirable or unrealistic for your personal needs. As such, our office is always looking for new ways to minimize any potential risks while maximizing our patients’ wellness. Most recently, we have updated our X-Ray safety protocol to include the new DEXsheild radiation shield.

For starters, it is important to note that dental X-rays are an extremely safe and useful diagnostic tool. A standard dental X-ray produces roughly a quarter of the radiation you would receive on any given day. Yearly, it represents a negligible fraction of radiation exposure that our bodies absorb from the sun, consumer electronics and other sources. At our office, we further minimize any risks by utilizing high sensitivity digital X-ray sensors, radiation aprons with thyroid collars and modern X-ray beams. In short, we make sure every patient is safe and protected to standards exceeding those laid out by the ADA and other governing bodies.

The DEXsheild fits in to our current safety standards by narrowing the beam of radiation that the patient is exposed to. We have always used devices called collimated X-ray beams. Here, a thick metal tube essentially focuses the radiation produced by the beam to the oral region. While the sensor can detect and develop an image, the rest of your body is largely unexposed to any X-rays. The DEXsheild works by taking the place of a standard targeting ring (the red, blue and yellow rings we have on the outside of the sensor holders) and blocking the released radiation to the exact dimensions of the sensor. It essentially functions as a secondary safety apron, but for your mouth!

X-rays represent an indispensable tool at any dental office. The information provided from a few quick photographs can give us fantastic perspective into if a tooth is healthy, why it might be hurting or what we can do to repair it. We also understand that many patients are concerned about radiation exposure and want to know how we are keeping them safe. If you have any questions or concerns on ANY of our safety protocols, please give us a call. Our patient’s safety is our primary concern and we are happy to alleviate any of your worries!