At Hudson River Orthodontics, we provide customized care so that you can achieve a great smile by choosing between several options such as traditional braces, lingual (behind the teeth) braces, and Invisalign. In order to provide such high quality care, orthodontic records need to be taken. These records include: facial and oral photos, dental casts, and x-rays.

There has been a great deal of information about high levels of x-rays in the dental office. Dr. Mathew has often times discussed with parents and patients the use of x-rays in the dental office. For orthodontic purposes a cephalometric and panoramic x-ray are taken. These two x-rays help in the diagnosis and treatment planning of orthodontic cases. There can be extra teeth, missing teeth, pathologies, abnormal growth patterns, and various other things can be gleaned from these images.

Many people do not realize that we are exposed to x-rays and don’t even realize it – things such as soil, tobacco, televisions, building materials, and even cosmic radiation can bombard us all day long. With that being said Dr. Mathew does not believe in taking x-rays on every consult he provides but before starting treatment he will take the necessary x-rays and review them with the patient and dentist (if needed).

As with any dental/medical procedure there are risks and benefits. Dr. Mathew believes in informing his patients about the benefits of orthodontic treatment so that his patients can make an educated decision about their treatment.

We hope this provides some insight into the x-ray dilemma and look forward to seeing you soon at Hudson River Orthodontics.