Are the x-rays necessary when you visit the dentist?

Question

My husband had a few cavities as a teen and now he's in his 20's and feels like he's getting another. I just called the dentist's office to set up an appointment and she told me they would do an x-ray, the dentist would visit with him, and then they would schedule him for a SECOND appointment where the dentist would discuss x-ray results and the hygenist would do a cleaning.

What kind of a racket is this? Can't dentists find cavities without x-ray equipment? And why would my husband have to make a 2nd appointment just to get his results?

And then to just arbitrarily assume he will get his teeth cleaned. The nerve!

Can you go to a dentist and refuse the x-rays and just have him examine you and give you his observations?

It's not just the extra money and radiation exposure we have a problem with, it's feeling pressured to do certain procedures. Has anyone else experienced this? I had a similar encounter with my dentist which is why I tried this new one today for my husband

I know the x-ray exposure is minimal, but still a risk is there and we don't want that risk unless this were a dire medical situation.

Answer 1

they do need an x ray to see if the tooth is infected or just has a cavity, if it's infected and the dentist doesn't know it and just fills it as a cavity, then it'll just keep getting worse and the face will swell. and be in a lot of pain, then the resort is either pull the tooth or get a root canal and a crown. so let them do the x ray and see what the problem is....you don't want to pay for a filling and then it not fix the problem and pay for additional treatment. you don't need 2 appts to find this out, the x ray will show up immediately and they can diagnose it immediately, as for the cleaning they just want to get your business but you do need your teeth cleaned every 6 months

Answer 2

okay i am a dental assistant they should do 2 x-rays called bite wings if its been awhile since he has been to the dentist because they cant detect a cavity that could be in between the surfaces of the teeth well with out it. As for the 2nd appointment i have no idea why the dentist wouldt check them right a way thats weird to me. They shouldn't have just assumed you would like a cleaning even though it is a good idea you should have been asked. You can request no x-rays but they cant be certain about the results then and you should always be given more then one treatment option and not feel obligated to do anything. Although saving your natural teeth is USUALLY the best option. Also if you are woried about the about of radiation it would take about 350 mouth x-rays to equal 1 chest x-ray if its done with digital radiography and even the old way is very limited trust me they are save enough that i would expose my child to the very small amount of radiation. There is probablly no need for a full mouth series of x-rays though so i would spend the 20-30 dollars on the two pictures just to be safe. One more thing they may need a second appointment to do the actual fillings.

Answer 3

You can refuse treatment at anytime. If your dentist insists on radiographs everytime you go, that is a problem.

A dentist should never insist on a radiograph before looking inside the mouth to look for signs that a radiograph might be needed. If your husband hasn't had radiographs in a while, it won't hurt to have them done. If he works in a hospital or a place that he is constantly around medical equipment that gives off radiation, then limit the exposure as much as you can. If he is just a normal person with no freqency of exposure. The exposure is very minimal. The exposure takes 1/30 of a second to take the radiograph at very low levels. With a lead verst on and a lead thyroid collar, there is little to no exposure to radiation.

If it is a cavity, they only way to detect a cavity in the earliest stage is to have a radiograph done. A hygienist can use an explorer to find sticky patches or places that are sensitive to her explorer's touch, but a radiograph is the only way to know for sure, unless you let it go until it rots the tooth out completely, leading to the extraction of the tooth because it can't be fixed, then you would know without a radiograph, lol.

Seriously though, it is better to catch decay as early as possible, to avoid complications.

The one thing I do find odd is how he wants to schedule a second appointement to do a cleaning and talk about the radiograph. Usually that can all be done in one appointment. The second appointment would only be used to remove the decay and fill the tooth. If this isn't his six month check up, the cleaning is usually not needed, unless he doesn't brush his teeth at least once a day...

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY TREATMENT THAT YOU DON'T WANT. Just remember to weigh the risks and benefits of treatment with an open mind.

Hope that helps!

Answer 4

I can see why "perio" got all up in your face. Your post is inflammatory towards dental professionals who tire of being accused of ripping people off all the time. (Racket?).

However, it's not your fault that you are uneducated about dentistry. Hopefully, you will learn something by asking this question and then perhaps feel a little more calm when talking to your dentist.

You have a right to refuse x-rays, but you are taking away an important diagnostic tool if you do. The dentist also has the right to tell you to find someone else if you don't respect his or her professional opinions.

You ask, "can't dentists find cavities without x-ray equipment?" Well, can't doctors see a ruptured appendix without xrays? Would you even ask your doctor this question?

There are other diagnostic tools available (such as DiagnoDent) and they are helpful, but dental radiographs remain the standard.

You will likely encounter this protocol at most dental offices in the US. Cleaning a patient's teeth often removes large deposits of calculous and tartar that can interfere with an accurate diagnosis. (THE NERVE!!!) It's not arbitrary, it's called "standard of care" and dentists who don't follow that standard can lose their license.

In order to schedule time, equipment, and staff, the doctor needs to make a diagnosis ahead of the appointment. It would be silly to have your husband come in with "oh, he needs a filling, just do it!" and then find out the tooth is too far gone and needs a crown, root canal, or both.

In that case, you have wasted both the doctor's time and your husgand's because he'd have to come back anyway.

From what you wrote, it sounds like you found a very fine dental office. They have high standards and may not wish to see patients who are uncooperative.

Answer 5

It is pretty much standard procedure on a first visit to have an x-ray taken: not all the damage done to your teeth is visible from outside. A cleaning is also a good thing to have about every six month or so (though not entirely necessary). it is also (in my experience with dentists - and I'm 56 years of age) that the X-rays and cleaning are done on a first visit, then the dentist will tell you what work (if any) needs to be done on your teeth and then set up an appointment.

Answer 6

yes, but there are some offices that do free x-rays for first time patients. there is no way for the dentist to just look at your teeth and tell you if you have cavities. the x-rays show bright white spots where the teeth are thinner; that's the only way to tell unless the cavity is visible in plain sight; then you would already know. even then, the dentist would check all of your other teeth with the x-rays. by the way, x-rays aren't even as harmful as going to a tanning booth.

Answer 7

Hello,

The dentist knows everything what is good or not good for your husband.I experience that also and I always back to the clinic to follow up everything.She can see it cause they study about that problem and she incounter that many times to many patient they have.It is your own dentist?I just want to know,cause if she is public dentist so she have many patient who need her help too.But I cant jugde for this time who are the right.Maybe she has a rocket to get extra money,or she want that your husband back again to get his 2nd appointment because she need to examine first what she's going to do that is best for your husband.Cause I have cavity too but I didn't experience to have x-ray for my teeth...or maybe the teeth of your husband so hard not easy to get that they called it abnormal teeth...or just go with your husband to the dentist then you can ask to the dentist if you see that something wrong to her....thank you

Answer 8

In order to make an accurate and thorough diagnosis the dentist def. needs x-rays. While the doc may be able to see some cavities just by looking in your mouth, they can not detect the cavities that happen in between your teeth. This is what the bite-wing x-rays are for. If any dentist is diagnosing decay without the help of x-rays than I would run hard and fast. This is not a complete diagnosis, and the dentist leave themselves open to trouble later on when someone accuses them of malpractice. Because they were trying to diagnose without the proper and complete tools. Instead of thinking of the x-rays taken as a racket to get your money why don't you think of it as the dentist/hygienist wants the best for you, and without x-rays the dentist can't make a complete diagnosis. In my experience people such as yourselves (I am not saying you are one, but like these types) who argue about everything that a dentist tries to do, be it x-rays, or a crown instead of a filling, are usually the first people to consult an attorney when something goes wrong. No matter that the dentist rec'd a crown, but no the person just wanted the tooth refilled even though the dentist advised against it. Then when the tooth fractures it is suddenly the dentists fault even though he rec'd a crown to begin with. The best thing that you can do is to educate yourself. Find out why you need those x-rays, why it is so important to floss everyday. It sounds like you are a dental shopper. Dentistry for us professionals is not like buying a car. We see the need, what it will take to make your mouth healthy, and what treatment that you will need to accomplish this. If you don't like what we have to say, then that is okay no sweat off of our backs. If you want to lose your teeth, or not that is your choice, however don't think that we all are out for money just to make a buck off of the uneducated population when it comes to dental needs. I am a dental professional, my doc is a professional, and no we will not give you a diagnosis without some recent x-rays. Whether we take them in our office or you bring them from another office, doc can't legally diagnose without all of the diagnostic tools available to him. We will gladly tell you what our policy is and if you don't agree with it than we will kindly tell you that we are not the practice for you. We don't pressure, we inform, and let you make the decision. However we don't participate in supervised neglect, so if doc rec'd's a treatment and you refuse to follow through with this treatment to the detriment of your dental health then we will give you a very polite dismissal letter, and give you thirty days as we are obligated to do by law. So you see we are not all out for money. The nerve is people such as yourselves that think that things such as x-rays are bogus, and that they are only out for the money. Not true, if you were a dental professional that had an educated opinion, that would be one thing, however you don't even know what dentistry is all about. So to make assumptions about it is just plain ludicrous. There is a difference between an educated opinion, and an uneducated one. If you don't want to feel pressured don't go to the dentist, let your teeth fall out and be happy. Okay.

Answer 9

Decay between teeth is very common, and extremely likely if you don't floss daily. Without x-rays the dentist cannot see the cavities in between teeth; so if there are any, the teeth will deteriorate and have to be extracted later.

Modernized dental offices use a digital x-ray system similar to MRI that doesn't produce any radiation.

Answer 10

x-rays are the only way the doctor can determine how close the opening is to the nerve, Your husband can tell him that he does not want to have his teeth cleaned, x-rays are also the only way that he can determine if that's the tooth that does have the problem.