3D x-rays provide dental professionals with the option to create hundreds of x-ray images from
just one simple scan of your mouth. Your dentist can zoom in on a tiny area, or get a larger yet
detailed picture of your entire smile.

What benefits do 3D dental x-rays provide to oral healthcare professionals and patients alike?

Better Planning for a More Effective Treatment

3D dental x-rays allow your dentist to get a clear, complete picture of your smile. These x-rays
especially beneficial for treatments such as:

 Orthodontics. Your orthodontist is better able to evaluate your unique tooth structure
and alignment in addition to how the teeth fit together.

 Dental implants. 3D dental x-rays allow oral surgeons to see precisely where to put the
implant for the best results.

 Root canal therapy. Endodontists benefit from the use of 3D x-rays to better perform
your root canal procedure.

 TMJ disorder treatment. Dental professionals can better understand how the jaw and
teeth fit together to introduce an effective treatment plan to the patient.

Through giving your oral healthcare professionals a better picture of your smile than traditional
x-rays alone, they’re better able to plan a more accurate and effective treatment for you.

Increased Communication and Understanding

In a 2D x-ray, it’s not always easy to convey to our patients exactly what’s going on. 2D x-rays
provide limited views whereas a 3D digital x-ray tends to be easier to understand due to the
totality and detail of the picture.

This clearer picture enables dentists to more effectively explain the patient’s diagnosis and
show them the problem on an advanced image of their own smile. A 3D image is more realistic
and comprehensible as opposed to a fixed 2D image.

Patients are also able to make more informed decisions when it comes to treatment plans
thanks to 3D digital x-rays. A 3D x-ray can open up doctor and patient communication so they
can come to a treatment plan that both parties feel good about.

The New Standard of Dental Care

Although 3D dental x-rays are considered standard for procedures such as the placement of
dental implants, root canal therapy, and even orthodontics, these efficient x-rays are fast
becoming the norm for many segments of oral healthcare.

Since these x-rays can capture a panoramic view of the mouth with just a single image, the
need for retakes is minimized, therefore exposing patients to less radiation. 3D dental x-rays
have benefits that outshine those of 2D, making them the new standard of dental care.

Although not all offices are using 3D dental x-rays for every procedure yet, your dentist will
almost certainly use these x-rays for dental implants and other forms of oral surgery or
reconstructive therapy. With more effective treatment plans and a better picture, these x -rays
are highly beneficial for patients and doctors alike!

The post What Are the Benefits of 3D Dental X-Rays? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Root canal treatment is performed when the soft tissue of a tooth, called the pulp, is infected or inflamed due to untreated decay, injury or trauma. During the procedure, an endodontist removes the affected pulp before cleaning the root canal and finally filling and sealing the space. Following the procedure, the tooth may undergo restorative work, after which it functions, looks and feels just like any other natural tooth.

A reflex reaction when considering a root canal, is that root canal treatment is extraordinarily painful, but in fact, if people were to take the opportunity to talk to patients who have had one recently, they would learn that many of those patients report feeling little to no pain. Not having the necessary endodontic treatment to remove an infection or inflammation is actually more painful than the procedure itself, and endodontists take care to prevent as much pain as possible during and after the procedure, and many can also offer sedation dentistry to address any patient anxiety.

If given the option to consider a root canal versus tooth extraction, it is important to consider the potential longer term impact. Once a (non-wisdom) tooth is extracted, the remaining teeth will begin to move and over time, and your bite will most likely become misaligned. This can potentially be a significant problem for your mouth and overall oral health, especially as you get older and there are visible impacts on your smile and impacts on your ability to properly chew your food. Additionally, restorative work in the future to correct this effects of tooth extraction might involved dental bridges or implants, which can cost significantly more than root canal treatment.

Discuss the benefits and potential near and long term impact of root canal therapy with your dentist or endodontist, and decide for your self if keeping and preserving your natural teeth and smile is preferable to having one or multiple teeth extracted. I would suggest that a root canal is preferable over tooth extraction for these reasons outlined above (and more), as one of the main goals of your dentist and endodontist is to help preserve and maintain your natural teeth for years to come, and root canal treatment allows them to do just that.

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