Frequently Asked Questions About Adult Tooth Loss
As a family dental office, we frequently work with parents to help them navigate the transitional period when their children lose their teeth. But when an
September 15, 2026
Dental X-rays are a vital part of a check-up and exam. X-rays can show your dentist what is happening under the gums and between the teeth. Cavities and similar problems can frequently form in places that might not be visible in a traditional dental exam. X-rays help us see what can be seen visually during a check-up.
The dental X-rays we take in our offices are an important part of evaluating your overall oral health. We take and develop them during your visit, so your dentist can immediately see what is happening under the surface of your teeth and gums during treatment. Most dentists recommend that all dental patients receive X-rays on a yearly basis.
There is a common misconception that X-rays are only for kids and teens who still have adult teeth below the gum line. Although dental X-rays are used to track how teeth are developing, they also are beneficial for tracking tooth decay and gum disease. If you need to make a dental appointment for yourself or a family member, you can come to one of our 5 locations in Chicago
One of the key reasons dental X-rays are used is because they can show us what is happening underneath the gum line. This includes and cysts or tumors as well as bone loss in the jaw due to periodontal diseases.
For children and teens, these X-rays can also help us track the health of adult teeth. For teens specifically, we can use X-rays to see if wisdom teeth are at risk of becoming impacted.
X-rays can also show us if there are signs of decay underneath existing fillings or dental crowns. They can also show us abscesses. An abscess is formed when the inside of a tooth is infected and can lead to severe pain and tooth loss if it isn’t treated.
Measurements are key when creating dental braces, bridges, or other dental components. It is vital that the false tooth, crown, or other dental component fits correctly with the surrounding teeth and doesn’t cause issues with bite alignment. X-Rays can provide important measurements for these treatments.
Oral health is different from person to person. Like with any medical test, if you are at a higher risk or have a history of a specific disease like a periodontal disease, your dentist might recommend frequent checks. However, for the average child, teen, or adult, it is usually recommended that you get at least one X-ray done every year. That said your dentist could recommend an X-ray for a specific reason. For example, teens might get them around the time wisdom teeth start to become issue, or adults might receive them before getting a dental bridge installed.
X-rays are a very safe procedure. Medical X-rays that are used to track bone health and any issues with musculoskeletal alignment are completely safe. It is important to understand that while X-rays are a form of radiation, the levels of radiation that a patient experiences are very low. Dental X-rays use significantly less radiation than the X-rays a hospital would take for bone health. Even so, patients are given lead-lined aprons to further decrease the amount of radiation they experience. They are an important tool for detecting dental issues and can help save your smile by finding problems early on.
Here At All Star Dental in Chicago, our five offices provide a variety of dental services to help patients with their oral health. Whether you are looking for a simple cleaning and exam to make sure your teeth are healthy and help prevent issues in the future, or you are looking to address a specific concern, we’d be happy to help.
To get started with All Star Dental, please call one of our five offices, or use the button below to schedule an appointment with our office. If you have questions about payment options, insurance, or scheduling, please contact our teams. We would be happy to go over insurance and financing options, our services and treatments, or any other questions you have about our dental practice.
As a family dental office, we frequently work with parents to help them navigate the transitional period when their children lose their teeth. But when an
Teaching your kids strong oral habits from an early age can help set them up for life. By incorporating simple dental practices into their daily routine,
As family dentists, we are here to help patients of all ages manage their oral health. We primarily work with families at our five locations throughout
The reason dentists recommend that you see them twice per year is so that they can make sure your teeth and gums are healthy. Dental problems worsen over time and they often go unnoticed until they are already severe. X-rays are one of the many tools dentists use to help check your teeth and gums for signs of decay or damage. A visual dental exam can see things on the surface, but X-rays can see things between teeth and beneath the gumline. This is especially valuable for children who are still developing their teeth.
The easy answer is “as often as your dentist recommends”. That said the most common scheduling is once per year. This means every other dental exam will include dental X-rays. This is covered by most insurance plans and is important in tracking oral health. If a patient is showing signs of dental issues, your dentist might recommend more frequent dental X-rays to track whether or not preventative or restorative treatments are working properly. For example, your dentist might recommend fluoride toothpaste and will want to perform an exam to ensure that things are improving.
When you get X-rays you will likely be given a lead-lined apron to cover the rest of your body that is not going to be exposed to X-rays. This might have you wonder about the safety of X-rays. It is true that X-rays are using radiation, and the lead-lined aprons are block that radiation from areas of the body that the dentist is not looking at. However, it is important to understand a few elements of that radiation. First and foremost, dentists use significantly less radiation to take dental X-rays than a doctor would need to take an X-ray of a broken bone. Even so, doctors consider X-rays to be low risk. Radiation is dangerous if you are consistently exposed to it and exposed to it in higher amounts, because of this, dentists and doctors always aim to expose patients to the smallest amount of radiation possible even if higher amounts would still be considered safe.
Depending on the dentist you go to and the treatments you need, you might be recommended different types of X-rays. For regular checkups, you usually just need a bite-wing X-ray. Basically, the dentist will have you bite down on plastic wings that hold your teeth in place. The X-ray is taken and creates a flat 2D image of your teeth and gums. 3D or panoramic X-rays involve taking multiple photos from different angles to create 3D models of your teeth. These often necessary for specific procedures like creating dental bridges or dental implants so that they properly fit the rest of your teeth.