- Joined
- Nov 17, 2015
- Messages
- 14,092
xrays also show cracks, which become all those bad things.
I’ll provide a good reason for a full set of X-rays every so often.
I had a dentist I went to for years- from the time I was a teenager.
He said I only had 3 wisdom teeth and those were pulled when I was in my early 20’s. Apparently pregnancy can make them sprout out.
When I was 40 I went to the dentist I currently have. He took a full set of X-rays. Guess what he found? Yeah, my 4th wisdom tooth sitting up by my sinuses, sideways. [emoji15]
He said no one was going to touch that tooth with a ten foot pole.
He keeps an eye on it and we just discussed it in April during my 6 months check up. He said it hasn’t moved one bit.
Don’t know what happens if it does move and don’t really want to find out but if it does I want to know asap in order to come up with a plan. And I’m guessing lots and lots of money.
I get 4 X-rays every other year unless there are specific issues. Recently I chipped a filling and the dentist asked if he could take the opportunity to go a little deeper and fill a small cavity below. He showed me the X-rays on his laptop over the last 6 years where he had identified a small area that had only increased by 1 or 2 mm over the last couple of years. Perfect, and he put in a foundation filling should a crown be needed in future years
I would like to know the true incidence of finding a serious problem on XRAY when the patient has no symptoms and the clinical exam is normal. I've been told I could have an abscess, a tumor, a "root" problem. I find it highly unlikely I'd have any of those without some degree of sensitivity, pain, swelling, fever, etc. I'm sure it happens, but is it often enough to warrant yearly x-rays? Especially when your history of visits has shown good oral hygiene and no gum disease. I have arguments with my dentist at each visit. Even at "low dose" I think it borders on excessive.
I think if it hasn't moved by now it is unlikely to cause a problem ever. And if there is a problem you need an ENT surgeon, not an oral surgeon. Your medical insurance would apply.
I would like to know the true incidence of finding a serious problem on XRAY when the patient has no symptoms and the clinical exam is normal. I've been told I could have an abscess, a tumor, a "root" problem. I find it highly unlikely I'd have any of those without some degree of sensitivity, pain, swelling, fever, etc. I'm sure it happens, but is it often enough to warrant yearly x-rays? Especially when your history of visits has shown good oral hygiene and no gum disease. I have arguments with my dentist at each visit. Even at "low dose" I think it borders on excessive.