Not everything happening with your oral health can be seen during a regular dental exam. Some concerns develop between teeth, below the gumline, around tooth roots, or within the bone that supports your smile. Dental X-rays give us another way to look after your smile by showing areas we simply can’t see during an exam.

At Once Upon A Smile, X-rays are recommended based on your individual needs and the information that would actually be helpful for your care.

What Are Dental X-Rays?

Dental X-rays, also called dental radiographs, are images that allow your dental team to see the teeth and surrounding structures beneath the surface.

While we can learn a lot by examining your teeth and gums, some areas simply aren’t visible to the eye. X-rays can provide additional information about tooth structure, roots, bone levels, developing teeth, and areas between the teeth.

Current recommendations emphasize choosing X-rays based on each patient’s individual needs rather than taking them automatically on a fixed schedule.

What Can Dental X-Rays Show?

Depending on the type of image being taken, dental X-rays may help us evaluate:

Cavities between teeth, where decay may not be visible during an exam
Changes around fillings, crowns, or other dental work
Bone levels around the teeth, which can be important when evaluating periodontal health
Changes around tooth roots that may need a closer look
Impacted or unerupted teeth, including wisdom teeth
Developing permanent teeth in children and teens
Changes following an injury
The jaw and surrounding structures when a broader view is needed

X-rays can also give us something to compare over time. Looking at current and previous images together can help us see whether an area is changing or remaining stable.

Why Are Dental X-Rays Important?

Dental X-rays give your dentist a more complete picture of your oral health.

For example, a tooth may look healthy from the outside while a cavity is beginning between two teeth. Changes in the bone around the teeth may also be easier to evaluate on an X-ray than during a visual exam alone.

When a concern is found early, there may be an opportunity to address or monitor it before more of the tooth or surrounding structures are affected. Sometimes an X-ray is just as helpful for confirming that an area looks healthy and does not need treatment.

For children and teens, X-rays may also help us follow the development and position of permanent teeth as their smiles grow.

What Types of Dental X-Rays Are Used?

Different types of X-rays give us different views, so the images we recommend depend on what we need to see.

Bitewing X-rays show the upper and lower back teeth and are especially useful for looking between teeth for cavities and evaluating bone levels.
Periapical X-rays show an entire tooth from the crown to the end of the root, along with the surrounding bone.
Panoramic X-rays provide a broader view of the teeth, jaws, and surrounding structures. They may be helpful when evaluating wisdom teeth, developing or impacted teeth, and overall jaw anatomy.

Different types of X-rays may be used at different times depending on what we need to evaluate. You may have several types of dental X-rays over the course of your care, but they aren’t necessarily needed at every visit or all at the same appointment.

Are Dental X-Rays Safe?

Modern dental X-rays use very low doses of radiation, and today’s equipment and imaging techniques are designed to limit exposure while still giving your dental team the information needed to care for your smile.

Just as importantly, X-rays aren’t meant to be taken simply because a certain amount of time has passed. Before recommending one, we consider your dental history, previous images, what we see during your exam, any symptoms or areas of concern, and what additional information would actually be helpful.

You may also notice that lead aprons and thyroid collars are no longer routinely used during dental X-rays. In 2024, the American Dental Association updated its recommendations and advised that routine patient shielding is generally unnecessary with modern dental imaging.

Today’s X-ray equipment allows the beam to be carefully limited to the area that needs to be examined. Shields can also sometimes interfere with the image, which may lead to an unnecessary retake.

Instead, current safety practices focus on taking X-rays only when they are helpful, carefully positioning the patient and equipment, and limiting the X-ray beam to the area we need to see.

If you ever have questions about why an X-ray is being recommended or about X-ray safety, please ask. We’re always happy to explain what we’re looking for and how the image may help with your care.

How Often Do You Need Dental X-Rays?

There isn’t one X-ray schedule that’s right for everyone.

How often images are recommended can depend on:

Your current oral health
Your age
Your risk for cavities or periodontal disease
Your dental history
Any symptoms or areas of concern
Existing dental work
Growth and development
Treatment that may be planned

Some patients may benefit from X-rays more frequently, while others may go longer between images. You may not need X-rays at every dental visit.

Whenever possible, previous X-rays can also be reviewed or transferred from another dental office so images do not need to be repeated unnecessarily.

A Clearer Picture of Your Oral Health

Dental X-rays help your dental team see areas that aren’t visible during a regular exam, monitor changes over time, follow growth and development, and gather information that may help guide your care.

At Once Upon A Smile, we use dental X-rays thoughtfully and based on your individual needs. If we recommend an image, we’re always happy to explain what we’re looking for, answer your questions, and help you understand how it fits into caring for your smile.