OPG x-rays are used to assess your jaw joint, your top and bottom jaw bones, all of your teeth including wisdom teeth and to get a general assessment of your oral health. OPGs require a larger dose of radiation which is equivalent the amount of radiation you are exposed to during an overseas flight of a few hours.
If you’ve had x-rays recently at another practice, rest assured that we will always endeavour to retrieve copies of those x-rays, rather than taking new ones and exposing you to more radiation. Each case is different though, so please talk to us about the need for x-rays in your particular situation.
Saliva protects your teeth from tooth decay and if there is less saliva in your mouth than there should be, or your saliva’s protective properties are lacking, you may continue to develop tooth decay no matter how well you look after your teeth.
