What’s the Difference in X-rays and Why You Need Them

At the office of Dr. Edwin S. Porter, we place our focus on patient care and making sure your teeth are healthy. In order to diagnose dental issues, we use digital x-rays to diagnose what we cannot see with our eyes or other dental tools. As a new patient, we start out with Full Mouth Series, or FMX as we call it, to establish your whole mouth. For younger patients, we may choose to take a Panorex and four bitewings to see baby teeth and adult teeth. The Panorex and FMX are usually taken every 3-5 years as teeth shift and change within that time. Every year once you are established, we will take four Bitewings to make sure there is not any new decay in between your teeth.

Full Mouth Series ("FMX"): The full mouth series of x-rays are designed to take detailed images of each tooth and the surrounding structures. We usually prescribe them to diagnose most dental conditions like gum disease, cavities, dental abscesses, and pathological lesions.

Bitewing X-rays: These are used to screen for cavities. Bitwing x-rays are not typically used on front teeth and are not used to diagnose gum disease.

Panorex X-rays: These are taken for a broad overview of the mouth as well as the entire maxillofacial area- which includes the midface, upper and lower jaws and surrounding areas. They are used more routinely by Oral Surgeons and Orthodontists during treatment planning, but have considerable less diagnostic value to the General Dentist who need more detail.

After we take your x-rays, you will be able to immediately view them and we can manipulate them by making them bigger and highlighting areas of concern. Call us to check out our great technology! 704-544-5330 today!

Don't Crunch Down on That Ice!

There's really nothing like the feeling and sound of ice crunching between your teeth for some people but, you better cool off on the ice chewing if you’re not prepared to have some level of dental issues resulting from the crunching of ice!

Chips, fracture lines, and cracks are common results from frequent ice chewing and if any of those issues are large enough, you could require a root canal or even a tooth extraction! Even if frequent ice chewing does not lead to one of these more serious effects, it will still wear down the enamel on your teeth much faster than normal and will lead to cavities.

If you're a chronic ice chewer, it's really in your teeth's best interest for you to break the habit! Whether it’s a nervous habit, out of boredom or it’s something that you crave, get to the root of the cause and work on that. You can even try drinking your drinks through a straw to help you resist the urge or simply order drinks without ice altogether. Just remember that the rush of the crunch just isn't worth the damage you're doing to your oral health!

At Dr. Porter’s office, we use many different types of technology to diagnose whether or not you’ve done damage to your teeth through ice crunching or other means. Digital x-rays are our first line of defense and a great tool in helping us see through and between teeth. We use the Diagnodent laser to diagnose cavities that are barely detectable with the naked eye or cannot be seen with the use of x-rays. We will take photos of your teeth and show you what we see! How better to understand than seeing a large image of your tooth on the screen and then having us help you plan a way to repair the tooth! We have flexible payment options and accept and file your insurance to make it easier on your pocket and your time! Call Dr. Porter located at the Arboretum at 704-544-5330 or e-mail Wanda@DentistryinCharlotte.com to schedule an exam or cleaning today!