Wellness

[qualitygal]

I got to thinking, since I'll be seeing the dentist shortly, between the yearly checkups with them and the regular doctor, the dentist, the back doctor, how many Xrays are safe for a person?

The examiners stand behind the lead safe areas but how about the patients? I've never asked about this before. Not even sure where I'd find it in Google. Maybe it's a silly question, not sure.

[colliegirls]

Most people and certainly the Dr and employees will tell you they are safe, blah, blah, blah.  No one can know for sure, I use my own judgement.   I avoid any x ray that isn't necessary.

[millieshops]

I agree that the fewer x-rays the better, but I certainly don't feel unsafe because my dental hygenist stands back when she does my X-rays.  After all, I do bite wings every few years and full mouth every 5 to 7.  The tech might take that many X-rays in one day!

I need to choose a new dentist near my Florida condo, and I'll be looking for one who has digital equipment.  My hygenist here on LI where they haven't invested yet in digital suggested I try that for my next full-mouth series and have the dentist fax a copy north, thus eliminating another full-mouth set of X-rays.  (She gave me a copy of her bit-wings so I don't have to repeat those with the new dentist.

That takes care of the mouth -  for the rest of the body   ---X-raysonly  as needed when a problem arises.

[151949]

Your dentist is supposed to cover you with a lead apron.

As an ICU nurse we had to take many many many patiernts to various radiologic tests and we wore a badge to measure our exposure - mine never was over the safe limit and I'm positive I had a lot more exposure than you.

[DiAnne]

You don't need to worry about dental x-rays but when you get into CT's there is much more radiation involved.  I would not have any more of those than is absolutely necessary.  

My Favorite Breed is Adopted

[ChynnaBlue]

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@qualitygal wrote:

I got to thinking, since I'll be seeing the dentist shortly, between the yearly checkups with them and the regular doctor, the dentist, the back doctor, how many Xrays are safe for a person?

The examiners stand behind the lead safe areas but how about the patients? I've never asked about this before. Not even sure where I'd find it in Google. Maybe it's a silly question, not sure.

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The X-Ray tech stands behind a shield because that tech is doing X-rays all day, 5 days a week. That's his or her job. 

I get my teeth x-rayed once a year and maybe go in for an occasional chest x-ray once or twice every other year. That's absolutely nothing compared to an x-ray tech. 

I'm not worried.

[Yardlie]

@qualitygal ... I am a retired dental hygienist (and taught radiology in dental hygiene programs). Most dentists these days (and most hospitals) have digital radiography...which greatly reduces your amount of exposure. Still, insist that the dentist use the lead apron and even a lead thyroid collar, which is often attached to the apron. If you have not have any cavities in a couple years, you should request to go two years between bitewing x-rays.

Here is a little bit of an article written by a dentist (Thomas P. Connelly, D.D.S.).

The exposure is minimal compared to other types of X-rays, and even daily living

According to the American Dental Association (1), the radiation you receive is scant. Using a millisievert (mSv) scale to measure doses, you could expect 0.038 from Bitewing X-rays, and 0.150 from a full mouth X-ray. Of course, those numbers are practically meaningless unless you compare them to other types of X-rays:

Lower Gastrointestinal Tract - 4.060
Chest x-ray - .080
Radiation from space in Denver Co. - 0.510 (per year)
Avg. natural radiation in the US (per year) - 3.00

So essentially, you get about three and a half times the radiation from space (if you live in Denver) than you do from a full mouth X-ray.

[wvumountiefan]

I don't do dental X-rays anymore. I'm a nurse and IMO I think it's just a way to charge more at my appt.  If something is wrong I can make an appt. and then if X-rays are necessary, then I'll talk to the dentist then about it. I just think yearly dental X-rays are silly for me to have.

[Lipstickdiva]

I refused a huge set of dental x-rays this year which lead to me having to pay $750.00 out of pocket that would have been covered by dental insurance had I had them.

But between all the tests I had to have done right before and after x-mas because of an illness, plus my yearly mammogram, there was no way I was having 28 x-rays of my teeth done.  And no, that's not a typo.  28!!!!!!  I will never have that many done, regardless.     

[SeaMaiden]

For years I was anti Xray.....then I had four joint replacements,  problems with my neck and upper back, root canals.....and I gave up. I am probably glowing with radiation.  My philosophy is no amount of XRays is good for you.  But life happens....and you have to do what you have to do.