Take an x-ray. Please!

efficiency
Written By Dr Mark Hassed

As I travel around dental practices I observe a consistent and very common problem.

Without any doubt in my mind, the most common, preventable cause of mistakes in dentistry is failure to take an x-ray. In particular, a well exposed periapical.

Some typical examples of mistakes I've seen:

  • A crown made on a tooth with a large periapical area associated with a failing root filling

  • A dentist starting a root filling on an unsavable tooth

  • A patient who was treated for 5 visits for TMJ problems when they had a carious pulp exposure on a lower molar

  • A dentist filling the mesial of a tooth and missing decay on the distal of the same tooth

Taking an x-ray is of benefit to all concerned - you avoid errors, you locate problems, you foresee difficulties and you get paid for taking it. What a win-win. You earn more money and the patient gets higher quality treatment.

My rule is that I would never work on or extract any tooth if I didn't have a current periapical film of that tooth.

Dr Mark Hassed

Mark Hassed is a dentist with over 35 years experience in private practice, who now focuses on helping dentists build more efficient, profitable practices. He teaches practical systems that increase case acceptance, reduce stress, and lift productivity across the whole team.

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