X- rays at the dentist , are they safe ?

Question

I wonder about those x - rays at the dentist how safe are they really?He tells me they are extremely low dosage. But why does everybody get behind a wall when he takes them?

Answer 1

c8lin81 is correct about why we leave the room when taking x-rays. We would be exposed to radiation all day, which would add up over the years. Most dental x-rays now are digital, so there is even less radiation than used before.

Answer 2

Your going to a dentist, what.. once or twice a year? The dental team is exposed to these rays every day on a constant basis, so the "Low Dosage" they expose to you, turns into a very BIG dosage for them who are constantly exposed to it.. So going behind the wall to keep from radiation is critical if you spend 5 days a week taking x-rays. Makes sense right? Otherwise you can just take your chances and not get the x-ray and hope that the dentist can guess whats wrong.

Answer 3

There is an extrememly low dosage of radiation given off from dental radiographs. It would be difficult to explain how radiation is measured, but it is extrememly safe. Dental radiographs are measured in milliroentgen. 1 milliroentgen is equivalent to 1/1000 of a roentgen. An x-ray (dental) has an output of 0.7 to 1 Roentgen per second.

Anyway...this is complicated stuff and I would have to right a novel to explain in depth. The reason we stand behind the wall is because we are exposed to radiation all day, where the Patient isn't.

Hope I helped.

Answer 4

They are safe, the people who work there are not having their teeth X-rayed, so they don't need to be exposed. Just like if you worked there, you wouldn't be having your teeth X-rayed and you would be behind the wall. They put one of those heavy lead aprons on you, didn't they? That's there for your protection and it really is a very low dose anyway. How else would your dentist know if you have cavities? If you don't have your teeth looked after properly, it can cause many other worse problems throughout your body. I don't think you need to worry about it.

Take care!

Answer 5

the x-rays will have no harm on you. they keep track of how many you have in a year, to determine how much radiation you have been exposed to. the assistans, dentists, and hygenists get behind a wall, because they are exposed to it 20 times a day. over time, that could do some damage. they even make you wear that big heavy apron to protect your organs, and nuthin gets through thoes things. so, you have nothing to worry about, unless you are exposed to it 20 times a day without standing behind a wall or wearing an apron.

Answer 6

Dentists, hygienists and assistants take xrays all day, every day. That's why we leave the room. The amount of radiation from dental xrays is low, but if we were exposed to that all day, every day, on every patient, the total amount of radiation would be pretty big after a while. In school, we learned that the amount of radiation for a set of xrays is comparable to the amount you would be exposed to flying in a plane from NY to LA. So I wouldn't worry about getting dental xrays once a year.

Answer 7

I wonder that myself... they lug this huge heavy lead apron thing in there and then go behind a wall. I don't know, I don't particularly like it, but I guess?? the rradiation is just for a second, anyway.

Answer 8

My dentist always tells me that of all the dental xrays you will have in your life,the amount of radiation wont even equal one chest xray.

Answer 9

you shouldn't have them everytime you go but once in a while is fine. That's why you wear the big iron jacket to protect your organs.

Answer 10

c8lin81 is right.
USE COMMON SENSE!!!