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Digital X-Rays Specialist

Smiles By Design

John M. Garcia, DDS

Dentist located in Weston, FL

Dental x-rays are one of the most effective ways for Dr. John M. Garcia to check on a patient's oral health. At Smiles By Design, intraoral photography is used to capture images so precise that they're similar to looking into the mouth with a powerful microscope. Weston, Florida area patients can trust Dr. Garcia at Smiles By Design for all of their oral healthcare needs.

Digital X-Rays Q & A

What is intraoral photography?

Intraoral photography is a type of dental photography that offers highly precise images of the teeth and the gums. At Smiles By Design, only the latest and most powerful intra-oral cameras are used, allowing for images to be seen at up to 40x magnification. This is comparable to using a microscope to see the inside of the mouth. Thanks to intra-oral photography, cavities can be found at the earliest stages. This allows Dr. Garcia to treat patients when the cavity is still in its infancy, so early that anesthesia isn't even needed for pain relief. Intra-oral photography can detect most oral health issues, including tooth decay, cavities, gingivitis, gum disease, enamel problems, cracks in the teeth, teeth abnormalities, gum abnormalities, and more.

When is a CT scan used for 3-D imaging?

When the other types of imaging aren't sufficient, Dr. Garcia may use a CT scan for 3-D imaging of the teeth. Smiles By Design has a CT machine on the premises and can use it to capture the teeth, gums, nerves, and the bone all at one time. The images produced are so detailed that most issues can be diagnosed or confirmed using these highly precise images. Patients don't need to do anything special to prepare for this type of imaging. However, patients must remove metal objects before the scan as this can interfere with results. The type of CT scan used for dentistry is different from the CT scans done in hospitals, but the kind of images and level of detail are similar.

What is a panoramic x-ray?

A panoramic x-ray is a dental x-ray that can show the whole mouth in one image. It's often used to detect bone abnormalities in the jaw bone, cysts, impacted wisdom teeth, infection, or tumors. However, a panoramic x-ray is unable to show enough detail to reveal cavities, one of the main reasons that dental imaging is done. Panoramic x-rays can be useful for planning some types of treatment and for detecting certain issues, but they can't compare to a CT scan for 3-D imaging purposes.

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