Dental X-rays – An Important Diagnostic Tool

“Why do I need x-rays ?” or ” I don’t think I need x-rays” are some of the very common remarks from patients. And as much as we understand and acknowledge the concern about safety from radiation exposure, there are definitive reasons x-rays are an integral part of a complete dental exam.

The health and safety of the patients are key goals for the dentist and hence your dentist does not want to miss on any findings that are not visible to the eye during a routine dental exam.

Here are some guidelines and important tips from the American Dental Association regarding dental x-rays:

Dental X-rays are a useful diagnostic tool when helping your dentist detect damage and disease not visible during a regular dental exam. How often X-rays should be taken depends on your present oral health, your age, your risk for disease, and any signs and symptoms of oral disease. For example, children may require X-rays more often than adults because their teeth and jaws are still developing and their teeth are more likely to be affected by tooth decay than those of adults. Your dentist will review your history, examine your mouth and then decide whether or not you need X-rays.

If you are a new patient, the dentist may recommend X-rays to determine the present status of your oral health and have a baseline to help identify changes that may occur later. A new set of X-rays may be needed to help your dentist detect any new cavities, determine the status of your gum health or evaluate the growth and development of your teeth. If a previous dentist has any radiographs of you, your new dentist may ask you for copies of them. Ask both dentists to help you with forwarding your X-rays.

Dental X-ray exams are safe; however, they do require very low levels of radiation exposure, which makes the risk of potentially harmful effects very small. Dental X-ray tools and techniques are designed to limit the body’s exposure to radiation and every precaution is taken to ensure that radiation exposure is As Low As Reasonable Achievable (the ALARA principle). A leaded apron minimizes exposure to the abdomen and may be used when it will not interfere with acquisition of the dental radiograph. Also, a leaded thyroid collar can protect the thyroid from radiation, and should also be used whenever possible. The use of a leaded thyroid collar is recommended for women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children.

Are you pregnant? Make sure to tell your dentist. During your pregnancy, you may need to have X-rays taken as part of your treatment plan for a dental disease. Use of the leaded apron and thyroid collar will protect you and your fetus from radiation exposure. Dental X-rays do not need to be delayed if you are trying to become pregnant or are breastfeeding.

At Ark Dental Care, we use state of the art digital dental x-rays for the comfort and safety of our patients. If you have any questions, please call our office at 408-564-6149 and we will be happy to help answer your questions as best as possible.

• Posted in Dentist
• March 13th 2019