Dental Radiographs

Pets get dental radiographs (X-rays) to detect problems with their teeth, just like people do. A dental radiograph is an image of the teeth and bone structures in your pet's mouth. This helps identify the extent of any bone loss or underlying dental disease in your pet's mouth.

Dental X-rays are commonly recommended for pets with various stages of dental disease and those that have suffered oral trauma.

During a dental examination or cleaning, if any periodontal pockets (loss of bone around the tooth below the gum line) are found, dental radiographs may be taken to assess the extent of damage. Appropriate treatment can then be recommended.

What Does a Dental X-ray Reveal? 



Dental X-rays provide an image of the teeth and bones, allowing for the identification bone loss and/or abnormalities. This test can be extremely useful for detecting new or progressive changes.

How is a Dental X-ray Performed? 



Pets must be anesthetized for a dental X-ray, because any movement severely compromises the quality of the pictures. Following your veterinarian's instructions about preanesthetic testing and fasting is an important component of safe anesthesia.

Specialized equipment is required to expose and develop the X-ray film. The pet's mouth is measured with a special ruler and the exposure time of the X-ray machine is set. The pet is then placed gently on his side, belly, or back in order to obtain images from different angles.

Depending on the density of the tissues and organs, as well as the ability of the X-rays to pass through these tissues, different shades of gray will show up on the developed X-ray. The whitest, brightest areas will be bone.

The film is then developed. Dental radiographs usually take about 5 to 20 minutes to obtain, plus the development time needed for standard film (5 to 20 minutes). Digital radiographs also take 5 to 20 minutes to obtain, but the development is immediate (the digital image will appear on the screen right away, just like a digital photo).