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DO on tooth #3

i just had a filling completed. on xray was small

but when dr opened up, it was a little larger than expected.

is this normal if xray did no show.. this part tooth, next to tooth #2 had no filling on it. other side of tooth had mo on 3
Poster
  • Male | 36 years old
October 02, 07:14 PM

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Featured Answer

2 UpVoted this answer
Great question. An xray is a tool we use to help determine any problems or diseases or conditions that may be affecting your teeth or the jaws. I want to emphasize the word help. An xray alone is not enough to tell us the entire story. In this case, the xray indicated that a part of your tooth had a cavity and on the xray it appeared small. It is not uncommon at all for a cavity to actually be larger than it appears on an xray. The wonderful thing about xrays today, especially digital xrays, is that we are now able to detect cavities and other diseases earlier and put a stop to them before then become larger problems.

Hope this helps!
William M. Duensing
William M. Duensing, DDS
Dentist in North Kansas City, MO
Level: Top Contributor (26)
Website: Duensing Family Dentistry
October 08, 07:53 PM
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1 UpVoted this answer
Yes! It can also show things that don't exist, like ghosts and cervical burnouts.
J. Abe Smith
J. Abe Smith, DDS, MPH, FICOI
Oral Medicine Specialist in San Juan, Trinidad
Level: Key Opinion Leader (145)
October 05, 08:25 AM
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1 UpVoted this answer Arnold J. Malerman, DDS Orthodontist, Dresher
Yes it is normal , X-rays not always show the actual size of any cavity
Soudabeh Sharafi
Soudabeh Sharafi, DMD
Pediatric Dentist / Orthodontist in San Diego, CA
Level: Contributor (9)
Website: Del Mar Pediatric & Adolescents Dental Practice
October 03, 12:44 AM
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1 UpVoted this answer Arnold J. Malerman, DDS Orthodontist, Dresher
This is quite common, and can be considered normal. An xray only shows a cavity when at least 30% of the calcified structure of a tooth has been removed by the decay process. This means that when a cavity shows up on the xray, the decay is always bigger than what shows in the xray view, because xrays are not sensitive enough to show lesser degrees of decay (under 30% decalcification) around the smaller spot showing on the xray film.

The final size and extent of the decay in a cavity can only be determined when the dentist actually removes the decay.

That's why it's important to find cavities and treat them at the earliest possible stage. As time passes, an untreated cavity only gets bigger, not smaller!
William S. Combs
William S. Combs, DDS
Dentist in Poway, CA
Level: Candidate (1)
October 03, 12:29 AM
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1 UpVoted this answer Arnold J. Malerman, DDS Orthodontist, Dresher
Thanks for tour great question. X-rays are a wonderful diagnostic tool, but are not perfect.

Often the cavity is larger than it looks on the x-ray due to several factors. Most importantly is the position of the decay in the tooth, as often the decay is partially hidden behind good tooth structure. Also the x-ray shows the end stage of the disease process of decay, while tooth early in the decay process only reveals itself after opening the tooth up.
John M. Pisacane
John M. Pisacane, DMD
Dentist in San Jose, CA
Level: Contributor (16)
Website: Willow Glen Dentistry
October 03, 12:29 AM
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Xrays, or radiographs, are two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects. There is a science and an art to being able to interpret the images. The fact the cavity was diagnosed from an xray is fortunate since you did not mention you were having any pain prior to the diagnosis. Usually, the larger cavities are bothersome and easier to diagnose. You are lucky the cavity was able to be treated with a filling and did not require more complex and expensive treatment.
Jeffrey J. Bueno
Jeffrey J. Bueno, DDS
Dentist in Pleasanton, CA
Level: Key Opinion Leader (125)
Website: Pacific Dental Care and Fastbraces®
December 09, 11:53 PM
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Did you send the X-ray? X-rays are very subject to interpretation and usually only show complete destruction when there can be significant degradation of the tooth that does not image completely on the X-ray.
Gary F. Alder
Gary F. Alder, DDS
Dentist in River Forest, IL
Level: Top Contributor (39)
November 16, 08:37 PM
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Yes it is, and if you had a photo of the mesial of tooth #2 after the prep on #3, you would see decalcification and the start of decay on that tooth as well. Decay frequently goes deeper than it shows on the X-ray. The bacteria inside the tooth ALWAYS goes deeper than the X-ray shows.

Best of luck, Brian
Brian L. Kirkwood, DDS
Brian L. Kirkwood, DDS, DDS
Dentist in Greenfield, IN
Level: Master Contributor (53)
October 30, 01:31 AM
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.A complete dental exam includes 2 parts series of x-rays and clinical exam.

By the time a dentist finds a cavity, that tooth has been through several stages of a chronic infectious disease called dental caries, where acids dissolve tooth enamel, letting bacteria inside. Unchecked, the tooth can die. The decay is always bigger than what is in the x-ray.
Centreville Dental Group
Centreville Dental Group
Dentist in Centreville, VA
Level: Master Contributor (58)
Website: Centreville Dental Group
October 28, 06:32 PM
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Not unusual. Fluoride availability in water and prepared foods have changed the way tooth decay shows up on xray. In addition, the angle at which the xray was taken might have been perfect, but the decay is entering the tooth from an unusual angle. The appearance on xray might look like it's a smaller cavity, but it turns out to be larger once the dentist sees it open during treatment.
Abraham M. Speiser
Abraham M. Speiser, DDS
Dentist in Newark, NJ
Level: Master Contributor (54)
Website: 60 Park Place Dental Group
October 28, 04:50 PM
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