In cases of facial swelling or chronic nasal discharge, radiographs can be of great assistance in the diagnosis and treatment planning. Radiographs can determine the location and degree of disease present. The are especially useful in determining whether there is bony involvement, which is a hallmark of more severe disease.

Dental radiology has several advantages over traditional radiographs. First of all, they are "non-screen" films. This means that the film is exposed by the x-ray beam and not by visible light produced by an intensifying screen, which is energized by the x-ray beam. This means that the film is much more detailed than standard film. This can be very important in detecting early, mild lesions. The fact that dental films are small and used intraorally means that they can be placed to only view one side of the mouth. This is very important when examining the tooth roots for possible infection or when trying to determine the location of a lesion without the confusing opposite side. In addition, this film requires less radiation to expose the image. This lowers the radiation dose for the patient. Finally, the film is less expensive than standard film. This allows more views of a lesion to be taken without incurring too much cost.

Dental radiology is a very useful tool in diagnosing disease in the nasal/oral region. It is also useful for small areas like cat paws and exotic animals. However, the largest film size available is 2 ¹ by 3" and so is not useful for large areas. In addition, since the film is placed intraorally, anesthesia is an absolute necessity for exposing these films.