Types of Dental X-Rays and What They Show: Guide

Editorially reviewed by the Dental.me Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Dental X-rays are one of the most useful tools your dentist has, because they reveal problems the eye simply cannot see: decay hiding between teeth, infection at the tip of a root, bone loss under the gums, and teeth still buried in the jaw. But not all X-rays are the same. Different views are designed to answer different questions, and knowing the main types of dental X-rays makes it much easier to understand what your dentist is looking for and why. This guide walks through each type, what it shows, and when it is typically used.

Why Dental X-Rays Matter

Much of a tooth is hidden. The chewing surfaces you can see are only part of the picture, while the areas between teeth, below the gumline, and inside the bone are invisible during a normal exam. X-rays give the dentist a window into those hidden zones. They can catch a small cavity between two teeth before it becomes a large one, show whether the bone supporting your teeth is healthy, and reveal infection or damage at the root long before it starts to hurt.

Because so many dental problems start silently, X-rays are often taken as part of a routine visit alongside your exam and professional cleaning. Catching an issue early usually means a simpler, less expensive fix, which is a big part of why regular checkups matter.

Intraoral vs Extraoral X-Rays

Before the specific types, it helps to know the two broad families. Intraoral X-rays are taken with the sensor or film placed inside your mouth. They give sharp, detailed images of individual teeth and are the most common kind. Extraoral X-rays are taken with the equipment outside your mouth, capturing a wider view of the jaws, sinuses, and joints but with less fine detail on any single tooth.

• Intraoral: bitewing, periapical, and occlusal X-rays. Best for detail on specific teeth and the surrounding bone.
• Extraoral: panoramic and cone-beam CT. Best for the big-picture view of the whole mouth and jaw.

Bitewing X-Rays

Bitewing X-rays are the workhorse of routine dentistry. You bite down on a small tab, and a single image captures the crowns of the upper and lower back teeth together in one view. Because they show where neighboring teeth touch, bitewings are especially good at finding cavities that form between teeth, where a mirror and probe cannot reach. They also show the height of the bone between teeth, which helps the dentist track early gum disease.

Bitewings are usually taken at checkups. If you want to understand what the dentist is actually spotting on these images, our explainer on what a cavity is covers how decay develops and why catching it between teeth early makes such a difference.

Periapical X-Rays

A periapical X-ray focuses on one tooth at a time, showing it completely from the crown at the top all the way to the tip of the root and the bone around it. That full-length view makes periapicals the go-to when there is a specific concern with a single tooth. They are used to diagnose an abscess or infection at the root tip, to investigate nerve or root problems, and to plan procedures such as extractions and root canals.

If a tooth is aching, sensitive, or tender to bite on, a periapical is often the image that explains what is happening beneath the surface. Where a bitewing scans a group of back teeth for decay, a periapical zooms in on the entire structure of the tooth in question.

Panoramic, Occlusal, and Cone-Beam CT

Beyond the everyday intraoral views, several X-rays give a broader picture.

Panoramic

A panoramic X-ray is a single wide image of the entire mouth: all the teeth, both jaws, the sinuses, and the jaw joints, captured as the machine rotates around your head. It is excellent for seeing wisdom teeth, impacted teeth, jaw and TMJ issues, cysts, and for overall treatment planning. The trade-off is detail; because it covers so much, it is less precise for spotting small cavities than a bitewing.

Occlusal

An occlusal X-ray shows the floor or roof of the mouth and a broad section of an arch at once. It is used less often than the others and is especially helpful in children, where it can track how teeth and the jaw are developing and how adult teeth are positioned before they come in.

Cone-Beam CT (CBCT)

Cone-beam CT is a 3D scan that builds a detailed, three-dimensional model of the teeth, bone, nerves, and surrounding structures. It is reserved for situations that need that extra precision: implant planning, complex extractions, TMJ evaluation, and detailed surgical assessment. A CBCT delivers more radiation than a standard dental X-ray, so it is used selectively when the added detail genuinely changes the plan. It is a key step in mapping the bone before an implant, which our guide to the dental implant procedure walks through in more depth.

Digital X-Rays, Safety, and How Often

Most dental offices have moved from old film to digital X-rays. Digital sensors typically use less radiation than film, produce images instantly on a screen, and are easy to enlarge, store, and share with specialists. That means faster diagnosis and, in most cases, a lower dose.

On safety, modern dental X-ray doses are low, and offices reduce exposure further with a lead apron and, where appropriate, a thyroid collar. For the vast majority of patients, the diagnostic benefit of finding a hidden problem outweighs the very small risk. If radiation is on your mind, our detailed look at whether dental X-rays are safe puts the doses in everyday context.

How often should you get them? There is no fixed schedule. X-rays are risk-based, meaning the dentist decides based on your age, history, and current oral health. As a rough guide, average-risk adults may have bitewings around once a year, people with a higher risk of decay or gum disease may need them more frequently, and panoramic images are taken far less often. Your dentist tailors the timing to your needs rather than a calendar, which is one more reason that regular checkups matter.

Which X-Ray for Which Problem, and When to See a Dentist

Here is a quick way to match the concern to the image:

• Cavity between teeth: bitewing.
• Whole tooth, abscess, or root problem: periapical.
• Wisdom teeth, impacted teeth, or jaw and TMJ issues: panoramic.
• Implant planning or complex surgery: cone-beam CT.
• Tracking a child’s dental development: occlusal.

What should you expect during the process? Dental X-rays are quick and painless. For intraoral views you bite down on a small holder or tab while the sensor sits briefly in your mouth; each image takes only a moment. For panoramic and CBCT scans you stand or sit still while the machine rotates around your head. You will usually wear a protective apron, and the whole set is often finished in a few minutes.

You do not decide on your own X-rays, but you can and should ask about them. See a dentist if you have tooth pain, sensitivity, swelling, or a tooth that hurts when you bite, and let your dentist recommend which images will best answer the question. Combined with a regular exam, the right X-ray at the right time is one of the most reliable ways to keep small problems from becoming big ones.

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