Dental Radiology

Dental Radiology (Imaging)

Dental radiology (imaging) plays a crucial role in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of oral, dental, and jaw-related disorders. The successful completion of examinations and the ability to plan accurate treatments require the use of dental radiology techniques.

In the imaging unit of our clinic, clear and detailed images of the intraoral and surrounding tissues are captured to assist in diagnosis and the determination of treatment procedures.

What is Dental Radiology?
The scientific field that deals with detecting and treating diseases in the body using various types of radiation is called 'radiology.' Some of the methods include ultrasound, X-ray radiography, positron emission tomography (PET), and computed tomography (CT).

The branch of radiology adapted for dentistry is known as dental radiology. The process of obtaining internal images of an object using these types of radiation is referred to as 'radiography.'

Dental radiology is the gateway to dentistry. It is through dental imaging that patient findings are detected, and treatment methods are decided.

This field focuses on detecting diseases, developmental defects, and abnormalities in the mouth, jaw, teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues. Dental radiology is responsible for investigating diagnostic and treatment criteria and uses various imaging techniques for definitive diagnosis.

For this purpose, radiographs taken from the teeth, jaw, and mouth areas are utilized. Pathologies and other issues are identified, and the patient is referred to the appropriate clinics. Based on these findings, personalized treatment plans are developed.

What Are the Applications of Dental Radiology?
Various radiological examinations are used to identify the problems and their severity that patients are experiencing. These methods allow detailed analysis of the teeth, surrounding tissues, and jaw structures.

With the help of modern imaging techniques, the exact location of the disorder is determined. The stage of the disease is identified, and treatment decisions are made accordingly.

The general applications of dental radiology can be summarized as follows:

• Before/after root canal and implant treatments,
• Wisdom tooth checks,
• Detection of cracks and similar structures under fillings,
• Monitoring of tooth and jaw development in children,
• Impacted teeth,
• Dental abscesses,
• Detection of cavities,
• Trauma,
• Identification of bone loss and other bone damages,
• Imaging of inflammation at the root tips,
• Detection of jaw and tooth fractures,
• Presence of pain or lesions,
• Need for bone grafts,
• Planning of prosthetic usage,
• Joint problems,
• Sinus blockages,
• Prosthetic applications,
• Sleep apnea,
• Suspected tumors and cysts, etc.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Radiology?
The methods applied in imaging clinics enhance the quality of the diagnosis and treatment process. Since it is possible to take measurements on the obtained images, more accurate results are achieved.

Dentists can draw the correct roadmap with the information provided by dental radiology. This allows the disease to be treated effectively and quickly.

What Are the Applications of Dental Radiology?
The main dental radiology (imaging) services offered at our clinic are as follows:

• Occlusal Film,
• Dental X-ray Film,
• MRI,
• Three-Dimensional Dental Tomography - Dental Volumetric Tomography,
• Phosphor Plate Imaging Systems,
• TMJ Film and Examination,
• Cephalometric Film,
• Panoramic Film,
• Digital Radiography.

Some of these can be briefly explained as follows:

Digital Tomography:
Digital tomography is a device that provides a three-dimensional view of the jaw region, teeth, and sinuses. With this application, structures such as tumors and cysts are observed. Anatomical formations like sinuses, nerves, and vessels can be easily monitored. It also helps to estimate the thickness of bones.

Digital tomography is applied using X-rays and offers the opportunity to obtain thin-sectioned and volumetric images. These slices, taken at short intervals, are combined and colored in a computer environment, resulting in 3D images. The key difference between conventional X-rays and digital tomography is that tomography provides 3D images.

This allows assessment with parameters like length, depth, width, etc., enabling dentists to see the jawbone and all teeth easily, including the surrounding airways.

Advantages of Digital Tomography:

• Allows complete visualization of the shape and size of the jawbone, making dental implant surgery more reliable.
• Facilitates detection of cysts, cancers, and tumors.
• The patient feels no pain, and the process is comfortable and quick.
• Bones and soft tissues are clearly imaged, helping the dentist plan more precise treatments.
• Offers 100% accuracy, better image quality, and high resolution.
• Even the smallest areas can be thoroughly examined. The dentist can fully understand what is happening inside the mouth, seeing the structures from different angles.
• The positions of impacted teeth and the jaw joint are clearly visible.
• Through digital tomography, anatomical structures such as sinus cavities, mandibular nerves, and nasal cavities can be examined, and the density and quality of bones can be precisely determined.
• It is used to create surgical templates before implant placement.
• In cases where 2D films like panoramic, periapical, and occlusal are insufficient for imaging existing pathologies, digital tomography is utilized.

Panoramic X-ray:
Panoramic X-rays are large films that show all upper and lower teeth, jaw joints, and bones. They also cover the oral cavities and impacted tooth structures.

With this method, the entire mouth is safely and comprehensively imaged. Not only the problematic areas but also risky regions are detected.

The jaw and teeth are simultaneously imaged using panoramic X-ray films. Initial cavities that may not be detected during an oral examination are identified through this method.

This method provides a broad perspective of the treatment area, increasing the success of the operation, providing comfort to the patient, and practicality for the dentist. Since panoramic X-rays are taken from outside the mouth, the patient experiences no discomfort during the process.

As the entire mouth is captured in a single photo, the dentist can more easily analyze the image.

Intraoral X-rays:
During this method, the X-ray film is placed inside the patient's mouth. The most commonly used intraoral X-ray types are:

• Periapical radiography,
• Bite-wing radiography,
• Digital radiographs,
• Occlusal radiography.

Through intraoral imaging, the presence of fistulas, tartar accumulation, plaque formation, cavities, misalignment, shape and color deformities are evaluated.

Extraoral X-rays:
Since the X-ray film is placed outside the mouth, the patient does not feel any discomfort during the procedure. In addition to the panoramic X-ray mentioned above, methods like cephalometric projections and sialography are also included in this group.

Periapical Film:
It provides a detailed and closest-to-real-size image of a tooth. It is one of the smaller types of films and is used for more comprehensive imaging of suspicious conditions identified during panoramic radiography.

It only shows a few adjacent teeth and the surrounding bone tissue.

Occlusal Film:
This is taken with 6x8 cm films from inside the mouth and helps to determine the horizontal position of the teeth. It is also used for examining the contours (sutures) of the jawbone and the study of salivary glands and ducts.

Bite-Wing X-ray:
It is used to detect interproximal cavities between adjacent teeth.

Hand-Wrist X-ray:
In children, orthodontic treatment planning cannot be done without knowing the bone age. To determine this, hand-wrist radiography is used.

This method helps to understand the child's growth and development stage. It is important to detect the 'ossification time' of bones. This method involves examining 29 bone calcifications.

Cephalometric Film:
This imaging technique shows the relationship of the teeth and both jaws to the skull base and other formations.

TMJ Film:
It is applied to observe the movements of the temporomandibular joint and detect related problems.

Computed Tomography (CT):
When multiple implants are planned or large tumors or cysts are present, computed tomography is necessary, as other imaging techniques may be insufficient in detecting problematic areas.

During this method, cross-sectional images taken from the oral region allow the study of pathological formations and the surrounding tissues in three planes.

The pathways of nerves and blood vessels, the positions of the sinus cavities, and horizontal bone thickness can be determined using this method.

It can also be combined with rapid prototyping to prepare working models and guide plates for the desired regions before surgery. This minimizes the risks of surgical procedures.

Dental Volumetric Tomography:
This method allows obtaining three-dimensional images of the formations in the head and neck region.