Best scan/xray for cavity detection

[azazel]

Hello all.

Could you please tell me the best scan or xray for cavity detection.

Apparently an OPG is good, but is mainly for seeing roots, wisdom teeth location etc...

Apparently the bitewing xray is better, but still not the best.

What's the best?

CT perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MattKW]

Bitewings are best. Old film-type bitewings are still better resolution than newer digital. The diagnostic advantage to digital xrays is the ability to easily magnify the image, and to adjust for brightness, contrast, saturation, and gamma.
CTs and OPGs have their place but poor resolution for decay.

 

[azazel]

Bitewings are best. Old film-type bitewings are still better resolution than newer digital. The diagnostic advantage to digital xrays is the ability to easily magnify the image, and to adjust for brightness, contrast, saturation, and gamma.
CTs and OPGs have their place but poor resolution for decay.

Hi Matt, thanks for the reply.
I was a little concerned with something I read about bitewings and relation to certain tumours - not definitive, but enough to want to research.

 

[MattKW]

If you worry about radiation, bitewings are nearly the smallest you can get. Much, much less than OPG and CBCT. We are all exposed to background radiation every day, and a bitewing is about 8 hrs background radiation (BERT). I have never read of any association to tumours.