An intra-oral is an X-ray where the film is placed inside the mouth. This normally is enough to see a few specific teeth.
An extra-oral X-ray is taken outside of the mouth (meaning there is no film that has to be placed inside the mouth). An extra-oral X-ray such as an OPG (orthopantomogram) allows the dentists to see all the teeth in the jaws, as well as the surrounding structures such as the “inferior alveolar nerve”. Since the extra-oral x-ray is digital, it gives a high level of detail of the tooth, bone and supporting tissues of the mouth. These X-rays allow dentists to:
- Find cavities
- Look at the tooth roots
- Check the health of the bony area around the tooth
- Determine if periodontal disease is an oral care issue
- See the status of developing teeth
- Otherwise, monitor good tooth health through prevention
The other extra-oral X-ray available in our clinic is the Lateral Cephalometric xray. This x-ray is routinely used in the clinic for orthodontic (braces) cases. It is used to assess the patient’s profile and the inclination of the teeth, and how much overbite and overjet there is.
