Dental X-rays Help Preventing Stroke & Heart Disease

The Dental X-rays basically take a photograph of the bone, of the tooth and of the soft tissue surrounding it.

With the help of these, dentists are able to tell immediately whether there is an infection in the pulp of the tooth, or whether the patient doesn’t have enough bone for that dental implant procedure.

There are three types of dental X-rays existent.

The first is the Bitewing X-ray where the dentist can see both the upper and the lower back teeth and how these interact with each other.

Dentists use this type of X-ray in order to see whether there is any dental decay present in between the teeth, and in order to observe how the teeth are lined up in the mouth.

The second type is the Periapical X-ray which basically shows the entire tooth: the crown, the bone section, and the root of the tooth.

Such X-rays help determine whether one of the following complications is present: dental abscess, tumors, cysts, or impacted teeth.

Then, the Digital X-ray is quite a new procedure which is usually performed in the high technology dental offices.

The digital unit basically operates with the help of a sensor, and this will in turn send signals to a computer. Thus, the X-ray picture can be saved to that computer.

Several dental health professionals from Canada and the U.S, clearly state that the panoramic radiographs (or the dental X-rays), are extremely efficient in helping with the detection of underlying life threatening health conditions.

Some examples include the detection of the blockage in the carotid artery or the carotid artery stenosis. Both of these conditions are high risk signs which may lead to stroke.

The findings of this particular study have been presented by Laurie Carter, PhD, DDS director and professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and also director of Graduate Studies at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry.

The findings are extremely important, since they prove how important the periodic dental checkups are. In some cases, these checkups can be life saving.