A 20-year-old man who smokes comes to your office for a new patient examination. The patient reports not having been to the dent
ist since he was about 10 years old. He claims to brush but not floss his teeth because his gums bleed when he flosses. He complains that a few of his teeth have recently become increasingly sensitive. After a brief initial extraoral and intraoral examination, the dentist orders a full mouth series of radiographs in order to proceed with the examination. While you are preparing the necessary films and holders, the patient asks you why you have to take so many radiographs. What are some of the reasons you can give him?
They allow your me to look past the tissue of your mouth, such as your gums, and into the deeper areas of your teeth and jaw bone. That way I can look for signs of oral health issues that may be invisible with a visual examination alone.
