All About X-Ray Tests And Its Scope
Diagnosis plays a crucial role in the overall treatment and care. In fact, it is not uncommon to find long queues in the good diagnostic center just like you find in the best hospitals. To make things easier for our patients, we at ILS Hospitals, offer most advanced high-end diagnoses including Cath lab, MRI, ECG, CT scans and more, within our premises itself. Today we will discuss a special diagnosis test, namely the X-ray as we are observing the World Radiation day, on 8th November.
What is x-ray?
The credit goes to the German Physics professor Wilhelm Rontgen, who accidentally discovered it while some experiment. X-ray screening is one of the oldest diagnostic techniques in the medical realm. It uses shielded, controlled ionized radiation to pass through the human body and it produces images accordingly. Any deformity and damage can be clearly evaluated from the same.
Scope of x-rays
X-Ray tests have huge scope in various medical specialties. We list out few most common –
1. Orthopaedics
a) The most common use of x-ray is the diagnosis of orthopaedic deformities. It is used to identify the damages to bones and joints.
b) It also can be used to estimate the bone density and thus is quite helpful to diagnose medical conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis.
c) It can also detect the presence of the bone tumors. However, its nature has to be determined by further screenings.
2. Dental
a) It can be used to check the alignment and damage of teeth and jaws. It can also be used to check for the cavities in the mouth.
3. Thoracic and abdomen cavity
a) Several lung conditions can be detected by x-ray tests, namely tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis and sometimes even cancer.
b) It can also detect several conditions, namely blocked blood vessels.
c) It is a useful tool to detect the presence of stones in the abdominal organs.
d) It is highly useful to trace any swallowed item, particularly in the case of children.
Though the number of diagnostic center offering X-ray screening is mushrooming in every corner, not every unit is using them as per the standard guidelines. As a result, many a time, people suffer hair loss, burns, and other complications due to poorly shield x-ray radiation. At ILS Hospitals, we ensure the x-ray tests offer only the positive benefits to the patients. We will be back soon with one such special diagnosis technique and its scope.
The Structure of the Tooth
Teeth are an important organ in the human body. Apart from tearing and chewing food, it also plays vital role in speech and helps building the facial structure. The dentists advise to take proper care of the teeth to maintain all its functions. The number and type of teeth had already been discussed here.
Let’s have a look at its structure closely.
The tooth comprises of two major parts, namely, the crown and the root. The crown is the visible part present uproot from the gums. The root is the embedded part in the jaw. It is not the visible part and anchors the tooth in the socket.
If we look closely, anatomically the following are the parts of a tooth-
Enamel- It is the hard, white color portion that forms the outer layer of the teeth. It is made up of calcium phosphate, which makes it the hardest element of the body.
Dentin- It is made up of live cells that underlies the layer of enamel. The dentin secretes hard mineral substance that fills the bulk of tooth. Without the enamel, it can suffer serious erosion.
Pulp- It is the soft living tissue in the inner structure of the tooth. The pulp has blood vessels and nerves running through them. It extends from the root tip to the crown of the tooth.
Cementum- It is a layer of connective tissue which helps the roots of teeth to bind with the gums and jawbone. It plays an important role to maintain the teeth stability.
Periodontal ligament – It is the tissue which keeps the teeth firm against the jaw. It comprises of thousands of fibers. These fibers hold the cementum tight to the bony socket. It also acts as a shock absorbent during heavy chewing.
Apart from the structure of the teeth, the followings are the structure around the teeth-
Oral mucosa- It is the moist soft tissue that lines the mouth.
Gingiva- Most commonly known as the gums, it is the soft tissue, which lies immediately around the teeth and bone. It protects the teeth and bone.
Bone- It is the solid structure that surrounds and supports the teeth, especially the root.
Nerves and blood supply- Each of the tooth and the periodontal ligament has a nerve to supply blood, which is vital for its function.
All of these must work together for effectual functioning of your teeth. Any deviation from the same must be consulted and corrected with the help of a well-qualified dentist.
Types of Teeth and Their Functions
While brushing your teeth daily, do you ever consider, how helpful these little white dressed soldiers are for us? Toddlers often use these as defense and attack weapons as well, but ideally teeth are designed to chew food, assist in digestion and of course to support facial muscles. When any of these purpose gets obstructed, we need a visit to the Dentist.
Teeth are an important part of the human body. Based on the time of its onset, teeth are primary and permanent. The primary teeth are 20 in numbers, but, more importantly, are the permanent ones, these are 32 in numbers. Each tooth is unique in shape and function. Today, let’s explore the types of teeth and its function.
1. Incisors
These are eight in numbers and are in the central front of the mouth, four each, on upper and lower jaws. It erupts at the age of 6 months and then later between age 6 to 8, making it the first teeth to sprout. Apart from biting the food, it also helps to pronounce words and support the lips.
2. Canines
These are four in numbers and placed immediately next to each of the outermost incisors. These are the sharpest teeth and helps to tear the food along with supporting the lips. It sprouts between 16 to 20 months, primarily and then between 11 to 12 years later.
3. Premolars
Also known as bicuspids, these are eight in numbers, four in each jaw, two on each side. These are crucial for grinding and chewing the food, it also supports the cheeks. The first set shows up at age around ten and the second set follows about a year later
4. Molars
Just like the prior type, molars also help chewing and grinding of food, along with supporting cheeks. These are eight in number, four in each jaw, and two on each side. Out of these, the first molars erupt at the age of about 6 and the second molars first erupts between 11 and 13 and stay permanent.
5. Third molar
These are more commonly called as wisdom teeth and are four in numbers. These lay at the extreme end of the jaw. These are the last teeth to erupt around at the age of 20 to 25, however, some may never develop these their entire lives. Several times, these wisdom teeth get crowded because of molar and need surgical removal.
So, take good care of your teeth, and if needed take the help of Dentist, because remember what Mallory Hopkins said,
“Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.”