Importance of Taking Dental X-rays and Dental Cleaning

Taking dental radiographs, or x-rays, is part of a complete oral exam and is good veterinary medicine. Even when the teeth look healthy above the gum line, dental disease can be lurking below where 75% of the tooth structure lies.

With the use of dental radiographs, we can find issues with your pet’s teeth before they become a painful problem. Diseases such as periodontal disease, tooth root abscesses, tooth resorptions, root fractures, retained root fragments, tumors, and jaw fractures are problems that we are able to detect with the use of dental radiography. Pets unfortunately cannot tell us where it hurts, so we need to rely on diagnostic tools to provide the best care for our patients.

Here at Northeast Animal Hospital, we use digital radiography, which uses 1/3 of the radiation to create an image compared to conventional film. The radiographs develop within seconds. This is safer for the pet while under anesthesia because they are not waiting a minute or longer for conventional film to develop.

We would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding dental cleaning and dental x-rays. Just call us at (727) 822-8501