Author: Dr. Shawneen Gonzalez

DDS, MS, Diplomate ABOMR
2 min read 17

Why a radiograph and x ray are not the same thing

Many, many people and dental professionals incorrectly use the term x ray when referring to a radiograph.  I am quite the nitpick on this and other terminology, which drives my students up the walls from time to time.  I’m not sure why or how everyone learned to incorrectly identify a…
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Case of the Week: Ectopic eruption

This week I have an interesting case of ectopic eruption.  Ectopic eruption is when a tooth erupts into an abnormal location (frequently into another tooth).  This case involved two mandibular premolars.  Due to the positioning of the crowns, there was extensive decay as the patient was unable to clean the…
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New patient radiographic exams

Imagine a new patient is coming to your practice today.  Do you have a preset radiographic exam you give every patient or do you evaluate the patient and determine what radiographs to order? Each office I’ve talked to is a little different in this.  While some offices prefer to order…
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Case of the Week: Abrasion

This week I have a case of toothpick abrasion.  This case was from the patient holding a toothpick between their premolars for large portions of the day. Note the notching between the two maxillary premolars.  I don’t have a time frame of how long this has been going on.  And…
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Creating a system for interpreting radiographs

When interpreting radiographs it’s easy to look at the area of concern (most commonly a tooth associated with pain) and forgetting to thoroughly evaluate the entire radiograph.  From a legal standpoint, a dentist is legally responsible for everything captured on a radiograph, not just the teeth.  Many dental practitioners can…