It is a very important element of a diagnostic process, as the disorders visible on the radiograms are often not possible to spot during the patient’s clinical test.

Radiologia

A radiology lab is an important part of a modern dental clinic. Radiological imagining is used by the dentist both during the first consultation visit while diagnosing the patient and preparing and individual treatment plan, during conducting the treatment and when it is finished, during the control visits.

MALO CLINIC Warsaw has its own diagnostic equipment, including the orthopantomograph (commonly known as the Panoramic Dental X-ray) and its own computer tomograph.

We take a few types of photos in dentistry:

  • Dental photos (intraoral photos)

Most commonly used in dentistry. Used for: diagnosis before tooth extraction procedure, before/during/after root canal treatment, in order to identify caries, especially in the teeth connection areas and in order to identify inflammatory root resorption. These photos also serve for assessing the fillings tightness, the state of marginal periodontium, identifying dental injuries, disorders and developmental problems.

  • Bitewing images

They show the crowns of both upper and lower teeth together with marginal periodontum on one image. The apical area however, is not visible on these images.

  • Occlusal plane images

They can serve a purpose of localizing impacted, supernumerary or redundant teeth; in case of dental injuries – a purpose of assessing the fractures of teeth and alveolus in the front part of the dental bridge; a purpose of diagnostics of the oral cavity floor if salivary stones are suspected; in order to reveal the cleft palate gap. They are also often used to assess the children’s apical root area.

  • Pantomographic images

Allow to show upper and lower teeth, as well as the surrounding tissue, temporo-mandibulat joints and sinuses. They allow for the assessment of the presence of caries and roots left after tooth extractions, assessment of the quality of fillings and root canal treatment, the presence of impacted teeth, as well as an assessment of severity of a potential periodontal disease or discover – sometimes symptomless – cysts, or even cancers.

  • Cephalometric images

Allow for the diagnosis of malocclusions and for planning orthodontic treatment thanks to taking angular and linear craniometric measurements (of the structure type of the facial part of the skull) and gnathological measurements (showing the disorders of the chewing organs). As the outline of the soft tissue is visible, this test is supplemented by a face profile analysis.

  • Computer tomography

Radiographs illustrate the three-dimensional structure only in two dimensions, so in order to properly assess the width and height of the alveolar bone, bone quality, the location of anatomical structures such as the maxillary sinus, nasal cavity or nerve canals, a computer tomography is necessary.

The three-dimensional image is usually taken before the starting the implantological treatment. The test makes choosing an implant of the best size easier to do, so it is possible to plan the surgery in the safest and the least invasive way possible. We also use tomography in endodontics – to find additional root canals and to correctly diagnose the tooth that is causing the problem in case of periapical lesions and their scope.

Main objectives:

  • diagnosing lesions within the mucosa, bones and teeth
  • diagnosing pathologies of the temporomandibular joint
  • evaluation of the quality and quantity of bone when planning implant procedure
  • assessment of the position of the nerve canals in case of complicated extractions (eg. impacted teeth)
  • planning orthodontic, prosthetic and endodontic treatments

The use of digital technology allows to transmit the X-ray images between the radiology laboratory and the dental office in real-time, so that the doctor can instantly see the image that was captured.