What you need to know
An examination shows the surfaces of your teeth. X-rays show everything else: decay starting between teeth, bone loss from gum disease, infection at the root tip, and the position of teeth that have not erupted yet.
Most dental problems are visible on an image well before they produce symptoms, and almost all of them are cheaper and simpler to treat at that stage. That is the entire argument for taking them.
Did you know…
How often you need images depends on your history and your risk, not on a fixed calendar. A patient with no decay in ten years needs them far less often than one with active disease. We will tell you what we are looking for and why, and you can always ask us to explain what is on the screen.