3 Dental Problems Your Child Could Have That Can Only Be Seen With X-Rays
Most dentists recommend that children get x-rays of their teeth when they come in for examinations. Some parents are hesitant to do so, either because of cost or concerns about safety. This is unfortunate, since x-rays are safe and can be quite affordable. If you've been avoiding x-rays for your child for some reason, here's three oral problems that can only be detected with x-rays.
Tooth Resorption
Tooth resorption is essentially a cavity that starts on the inside of the tooth, rather than the outside. It's not due to poor oral hygiene like standard cavities usually are. Tooth resorption is a disorder where the body mistakenly starts absorbing the tooth root back into the body, creating a cavity. This condition can be extremely painful once it reaches the nerve of the tooth, but if it's found early with x-rays, the tooth can be preserved by drilling the affected area. Once the affected tissue is removed, the body stops the resorption process and the tooth is preserved.
Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth can come in earlier than you might expect. While you might think that x-rays are necessary for wisdom teeth, it can make a big difference to your child.
Wisdom teeth don't always come in perfectly. If you were hoping to simply wait until the wisdom tooth broke the surface of the gums, there's no guarantee that will happen the way that it should.
In addition, your child's wisdom teeth will be more difficult to remove after the roots have finished growing. If they're found early with x-rays, they're easier to remove, and will result in a shorter recovery time for your child.
Impaction
Remember how wisdom teeth might come in wrong? The same can be said for all teeth. Teeth sometimes grow in so closely together that they ram into a neighboring tooth. When this happens, they push the tooth out of the way, which can damage it badly, and it'll cause a lot of pain for your child. In some instances, the tooth simply grows in sideways so it never even breaches the surface but still causes havoc beneath it. This kind of problem can only be found with x-rays, or if absolutely necessary, exploratory surgery. Obviously an x-ray would be preferable!
X-rays help your children's dentist to find problems before they become severe and put your child through pain. Don't turn down the x-rays the next time your child has a dental appointment.
