Before any significant dental treatment — whether implants, veneers or extractions — your dentist needs to see what is happening beneath the surface. Dental imaging reveals bone density, nerve positions, hidden infections and structural issues invisible to the naked eye. Understanding the different types of dental scans helps you appreciate why they are essential and ensures you can share the right images between your UK dentist and overseas clinic.
Types of Dental X-Rays
Periapical X-rays show 2-3 individual teeth from crown to root tip, including the surrounding bone. They are used to diagnose infections, fractures and bone loss around specific teeth. Bitewing X-rays show the upper and lower back teeth in a single image, primarily used to detect decay between teeth and monitor bone levels.
Panoramic X-rays (OPG) capture the entire mouth in a single wide image — all teeth, both jaws, the sinuses and jaw joints. This is the most commonly requested image for dental tourism consultations because it gives a comprehensive overview that allows the overseas clinic to develop an initial treatment plan. Most UK dental practices can provide an OPG, and the image can be shared digitally via email.
What Is a CBCT Scan?
Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is a 3D imaging technology that creates a detailed three-dimensional model of your teeth, bone and surrounding structures. Unlike a flat X-ray, CBCT allows your dentist to see bone width, height and density from every angle, precisely locate nerves and blood vessels, and plan implant placement with millimetre accuracy.
CBCT has become the standard of care for implant planning. The SEDENTEXCT guidelines recommend CBCT scanning before any implant placement to minimise surgical risks. A CBCT scan costs £100-250 in the UK, though many Turkish clinics include it free as part of the initial consultation.
Why Imaging Matters for Different Procedures
For dental implants: CBCT scanning is essential to assess whether you have sufficient bone for implants, where the inferior alveolar nerve runs through the lower jaw (damaging this nerve causes permanent numbness), the proximity of the maxillary sinuses in the upper jaw, and the optimal angle and depth for implant placement. Without this information, implant surgery becomes significantly riskier.
For veneers and crowns: Periapical X-rays check the health of each tooth’s root and surrounding bone before preparation. They reveal hidden decay, abscesses or root canal issues that need addressing before cosmetic work proceeds. For wisdom tooth extraction: OPG and sometimes CBCT imaging shows the tooth’s position relative to the nerve canal — crucial for planning safe removal of impacted wisdom teeth.
Sharing Images with Overseas Clinics
When contacting Turkish clinics for treatment plans, you will typically need to share your dental images. Ask your UK dentist for digital copies of your most recent X-rays or OPG — they are legally required to provide these under UK data protection law. Digital X-rays can be emailed as JPEG or DICOM files. CBCT scans produce larger files that may need to be shared via a file transfer service.
If your images are more than 6-12 months old, new ones may be needed as your dental condition can change. Many Turkish clinics will take their own OPG and CBCT scans on your first day regardless, as they prefer to work with their own imaging equipment for maximum accuracy. This is standard practice and not a sign of over-charging.
Radiation Safety
All dental X-rays involve some radiation exposure, but the doses are very low. A single periapical X-ray delivers approximately 0.005 mSv — equivalent to a few minutes of natural background radiation. A panoramic OPG delivers about 0.01 mSv and a CBCT scan delivers 0.05-0.5 mSv depending on the field of view. For comparison, a chest X-ray delivers about 0.02 mSv and a transatlantic flight exposes you to about 0.08 mSv.
The UK Health Security Agency confirms that the radiation doses from dental imaging are very low and the diagnostic benefits far outweigh the minimal risk. However, imaging should always be justified — unnecessary repeat scans should be avoided, and clinics should accept recent images from other providers where the quality is sufficient.
What to Check on Your Scans
You do not need to be a dentist to ask informed questions about your scans. Ask your dentist to show you: the bone levels around your teeth (are they healthy or showing signs of loss?), any areas of infection (dark patches around root tips), the condition of existing restorations (fillings, crowns, root canals), and for implant cases, the available bone dimensions at planned implant sites. A good dentist will take time to explain your images clearly, whether in the UK or Turkey.