X-Ray Vision – It’s What’s Below the Surface That Counts

We’re talking about actual x-ray vision! If this doesn’t quite make sense to you, read on!

We know we like to ask you questions about your day while all our hands and instruments are in your mouth, that’s just something funny that dentists are known for. With two sets of hands and instruments in your mouth, you gurgle your muddled reply!

As Orthodontists, we use x-rays to check how things are doing below the surface of your teeth. What we’re looking for is missing teeth, teeth that are impacted (those little guys that can’t get through your gums because they don’t have enough room to “erupt” into place) and teeth trying to come up in the wrong direction or position. Teeth are funny little guys and they sometimes struggle to come in wherever they can (usually taking the path of least resistance)!

We even see some people who have extra teeth! Now that’s an anomaly that’s fun to see! On the note of having extra teeth, those gooey garden-crawlers, snails, have over 14,000 teeth! Humans generally have a full set of 32 teeth when they reach adulthood. Let’s just say we’re lucky not to have 14,000 teeth because can you imagine how long appointments would take to put braces on all 14,000?!

So, maybe you’re wondering why it’s important to look below the surface of your teeth?

The answer is simple! Basically, you never know what may be hiding under your gums! The only way to view under your gums is through our super-duper x-ray technology. Our x-rays make the invisible, visible and while our orthodontists are definitely super-heroes, they have yet to develop x-ray vision.

When we find things like impacted teeth, we know we need to make some changes. Impacted teeth may be preventing those beautiful pearly-white adult teeth from coming in properly. We want to quickly address impacted teeth because they can harm the roots of the teeth next-door. Impacted teeth cause over-crowding and can make your other teeth move in funky and unhealthy directions all over the place!

A check-up using our x-ray machines can help you avoid expensive and more invasive treatments in the years to come. It’s easier for orthodontists to identify and treat problems while the problem is forming rather than waiting for the teeth to fully develop. X-ray vision will help us prevent you from having worse-off problems down the road.

Just like you get your body’s overall-health checked on regularly by your family pediatrician, you should also get early check-ups with an orthodontist. We try to make your early trips to the orthodontist as fun and interactive as possible. It’s fun to see what’s going on under the surface of your gums!

At Hi-5 Orthodontics, we recommend making your first trip to the orthodontist by the age of seven years old. This early check-up will help us make sure the health of your mouth (and things you can’t see) are in tip-top shape.

Maybe your general dentist has yet to refer you to us, but this doesn’t mean you’re not welcome into our office for an exam. An exam with an orthodontist will include a set of super-cool x-rays just to make sure nothing strange is happening and that your teeth are coming in correctly in the healthiest manner possible. We will even let you know if you have any missing teeth that we’ll want to take care of. You need all those teeth for chewing and smiling and absorbing all the nutrients from the food you eat!

Hi-5 Orthodontics can work with you to get a healthy, happy, and beautiful smile at any age! We are expert super-heroes in orthodontic-care and making sure your teeth and jaws are aligned properly. We have the skills, experience, and technology to help give you the best smile you can possibly have!