Radiation and dental X-rays
Recently it seems that there has been an increasing amount of news and media coverage regarding the safety, efficacy, and potential side effects of dental x-rays. Unfortunately the claims and views that are put forth by some supposed experts are often questionable at best, leaving people confused and sometimes scared.
The truth is that little is known about the exact effects of low-dose radiation, which is the type used in dental X-rays. What we do know, however, is that the effects are cumulative, meaning they depend on the total amount you have absorbed over the course of your entire life. The small amount of radiation exposure that a patient receives from dental X-rays has never been proven to cause any kind of cancer.
Dentists are well aware of the potential risks associated with X-rays and bear this in mind when they recommend them to patients. Nevertheless, the extreme benefits of x-rays are also well known: they help dentists to diagnose relatively common disorders such as cavities, periodontal disease and infections. Without this ability to see inside a tooth and beneath the gums more disease would go unchecked, patients would experience more pain and discomfort, and more teeth would be lost because proper treatment couldn't be started in time. For these reasons, X-rays remain one of the best diagnostic tools in helping patients maintain good oral health.
How to Increase Safety
The largest gains in safety have come from recent advances in technology. This makes it so that the radiographs you receive in a modern dental facility are quite different (and far safer) than those you may have had while growing up. For starters, the cone (the part which emits the x-rays) has become much, much smaller over the years so that radiation is only pointed at the small spot where the X-ray film is located in your mouth. Also, in the past the exposure time lasted for several seconds, whereas now these times are set at tenths of seconds.
In addition, many dentists have made the switch to digital x-rays, which effectively lower the radiation by about 80 percent over the conventional method (film).
With all these advances, a typical dental x-ray in today's dental office exposes you to only about 2-3 mrem (the measure of radioactivity). To put things in perspective, the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) says that the average US resident receives about 360 mrem every year just from background sources such as smoke detectors, airplanes, cell phones, and foods we eat.
So, bearing this in mind we can, to a certain extent, relax about all the hype. It is true that there is some degree of risk. There probably always will be, and we must manage that risk to the best of our abilities. However, just as we accept the small radiation risk of a smoke detector in order to monitor our safety at home, dentists must also monitor and treat their patient's health.
Dr. Logan Hazard recently opened Heartwood Family Dental in Post Falls. At Heartwood, we offer free exams and x-rays for all new patients, treatment for the entire family, a wonderful team, and acceptance of all insurances in the area. Call Justine at 208-777-1542