If you’ve ever wondered why your dentist recommends X-rays even when nothing hurts, you’re not alone. Dental X-rays play a critical role in detecting problems you can’t see or feel—before they become painful or expensive to treat. At Pickett Family Dental in Keller, TX, we use digital X-rays as part of your preventive care to protect your teeth, gums, and overall health.
Here’s what you need to know about why dental X-rays matter and how they help us keep your smile healthy for the long run.
What Dental X-Rays Actually Show
Your dentist can see a lot during a visual exam, but X-rays reveal what’s happening beneath the surface. This includes:
- Tooth roots and bone levels
- Cavities between teeth
- Infections or abscesses
- Impacted wisdom teeth
- Cysts or tumors
- Developing teeth in children
With the use of the Dental X-ray, we can look deeper than the surface. X-rays are standard care of our dental cleaning and exams that we use to capture images of the interior of your teeth with low levels of radiation. With X-rays we can identify problems like impacted teeth, cavities, and tooth decay safely. The exposure to the X-ray’s radiation is lowered significantly.
If this is your first time visiting our family dentistry office, we would need to request your X-ray record from your previous practitioner. This will give us a full picture of the condition of your teeth when we undergo a new set of X-ray examination.
These hidden structures help us spot issues that aren’t visible to the naked eye—especially when symptoms haven’t started yet.
Why X-Rays Are Part of Routine Dental Care
Think of dental X-rays as a critical part of your preventive care plan. Most dental problems start silently. You may not feel a cavity, infection, or bone loss until it’s more advanced—and more difficult or costly to treat.
By taking X-rays at regular intervals, your dentist can:
- Catch tooth decay early, before it requires a root canal or crown
- Monitor gum disease and detect hidden bone loss
- Evaluate the fit and health of fillings, crowns, and bridges
- Track the growth and positioning of children’s and teens’ teeth
- Plan more precisely for implants, extractions, or orthodontics
In short, X-rays help us make better, faster decisions that save your teeth and your budget.
Getting X-Rays at the Dentist in Keller TX
If this is your first time visiting our keller dentist office, we would need to request your X-ray record from your previous practitioner. This will give us a full picture of the condition of your teeth when we undergo a new set of X-ray examination.
The frequency of your X-ray examination may differ depending on your condition. These include:
- History/symptoms of oral disease
- Current oral health
- Age
- A history of gum and/or disease, or tooth decay
Dr. Pickett will identify the following concerns during the X-ray procedure. They can help:
- Observe wisdom teeth as they grow
- See tumor or cysts
- Reveal infection or bone cysts
- Detect dental problems early on
- Visualise around your teeth and surrounding tissue
During the examination, There are two main types of dental X-rays:
Intraoral X-rays
These X-rays provide a comprehensive and clear picture of what happens inside the mouth. This type will show images that will check the health of the tooth and the bone surrounding the tooth. It can check the newly formed cavities and the status of the developing teeth.
Extraoral X-rays
This type focuses on the jaw and the skull. They are used for detecting impacted teeth, cysts, and monitor the development of jaws in relation to the teeth.
Are Dental X-Rays Safe?
Yes—especially with today’s technology. At Pickett Family Dental, we use digital X-rays, which emit up to 90% less radiation than traditional film-based methods. In fact, a set of dental X-rays exposes you to less radiation than a short flight or a day in the sun.
We also take precautions like lead aprons and only take X-rays when necessary. For most healthy patients, that means once a year or every two years, depending on your risk factors.
For children, more frequent X-rays may be recommended to monitor growth and catch issues early while the mouth is still developing.
Do You Really Need X-Rays If Nothing Hurts?
Absolutely. By the time you feel pain, the problem may already be advanced. X-rays allow us to intervene early, comfortably, and affordably—often before you even know something is wrong.
Skipping routine X-rays may save you a small fee now, but it can lead to bigger problems and higher costs down the line.
What If You’re Pregnant?
We understand the concern about radiation exposure during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or think you might be, always let us know. In most cases, we delay non-urgent X-rays until after the baby is born. If emergency imaging is needed, we use extra shielding to ensure safety.
Keeping Your Smile on Track With Smart, Safe Imaging
At Pickett Family Dental, we prioritize your comfort, safety, and long-term oral health. X-rays are just one of the tools we use to give you accurate, proactive, and effective dental care—the kind that keeps your teeth healthy for a lifetime.
If you have oral health problems, it may be necessary for you to X-ray your mouth more frequently. Healthy adults with no major dental problems will only need to take X-ray procedures every 2-3 years.
If you have questions about dental X-rays or it’s been more than a year since your last check-up, schedule your visit today. We’ll walk you through every step, explain what we see, and work together to keep your smile strong, clean, and worry-free.
