Sometimes, when you have an infected tooth, the symptoms will be obvious, such as discomfort so intense it wakes you up out of a sound sleep, or a tooth that is extremely sensitive when you consume hot foods or beverages. However, sometimes the symptoms of a tooth that will require a root canal are much more subtle.
At the Phoenix Endodontic Group, endodontists Dr. Susan Wood and Dr. Jaqueline Allen have a variety of tools to help them diagnose and treat an infected tooth. One of their key tools is the X-ray. Dr. Wood explained why this very traditional imaging technique is still very useful.
Invisible Infections
- X-rays help endodontists visualize three critical structures in your mouth: the dental pulp, the periodontal ligament and the bone surrounding the tooth.
- Wood says, “At times, there can be bone degradation and tissue formation resultant from bacteria in the canals of the root that can be seen on a radiograph.”
- Pus from an infected tooth can be hard to detect sometimes. An X-ray can help a dentist spot a condition known as radiolucency, which indicates changes have occurred in the bone in this region due to its response to the infection going on within the tooth.
Treatment Tools
- Once an infection in a tooth has been found, X-rays are also used by the specialists at the Phoenix Endodontic Group to guide treatment of the tooth.
- A periapical X-ray helps your endodontist monitor the cleaning of your root canals and the filling of the canals.
- For some cases, additional imaging techniques may be necessary. Dr. Wood says, “If a tooth is suspicious from our diagnostic testing of being necrotic, we will sometimes take a Cone Beam CT to look at the tooth in three dimensions.”
Phoenix Endodontic Group patients occasionally ask about the safety and effectiveness of X-rays. Dr. Wood advises that X-ray imaging technology has evolved dramatically over the past few decades.
She says, “With the advent of digital radiographs, the patient’s exposure to radiation has decreased dramatically. We still use lead shields to cover patients and thyroid collars when indicated, but the exposure is very minimal – about as much as being in the hot Arizona sun for an hour.”