Are large amounts of dental xrays safe?

Question

What is the diffrence between analog and digital dental xray equipment. How much more exposure to radiation will analog equipment cause. Are 18 xrays really necessary for a dental exam. It sure seams like a lot. How many xrays and how often could be considered the minimum to still provide good dental care. Thanks for your time.

Answer 1

Dental x-rays are the lowest dose radiation exam that are done. Here are some things to consider:

On this site, they consider a full mouth series 14 images or x-rays, and this is not on a digital unit, but a traditional film system.....
"The exposure rate for a full mouth series is equal to the sum of all the individual exposures or only three millirems. Three millirems are equivalent to about four days of exposure to radiation received naturally from the sun. The overall exposure is actually much less than the sum of the individual X-rays due to the movement of the radiographic tube between exposures to narrow the exposed area to a very small area."

AND:

‘if a person in an average location in the U.S. were to receive a full-mouth periapical and panoramic examination every 4 months for the rest of their life he would incur only the same risk as a person living in Denver who was not exposed to dental radiography’.

http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/x-ray_safety.htm

Remember that x-rays are a highly directed beam of radiation. They do not fly all willy-nilly around the room. The area that is exposed to the radiation is only the area being imaged.

"Dental x rays, as with most x rays, are taken with the machine focused right on the area where the x rays need to go. Because of this there is virtually no exposure to anything other than the item of interest (in this case, a tooth or teeth)."

http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q360.html

Answer 2

Digital x-rays require a shorter exposure time. So the radioactive dosage is less. How ever I think 18 x-rays for a dental check up sounds like a bit much.

Answer 3

Analog x-ray machines produce low quality images with delay between X-ray exposure and image availability, whereas in case of digital x-ray machines with computer aided diagnosis produce consistent high quality image. Analog leads to chemical wastes which degrades environmental balance which doesnot happen in case of digital. For further information must check the website.

Answer 4

i'm a dentist. It relies upon. The "rule" is that x-rays should not be taken in the time of the 1st trimester, because it somewhat is at an identical time as organogenesis is going on. of direction, at 2 weeks, you're indoors the very early stages and the embryo is in its optimum susceptible state. In delicate of this, it fairly is in easily anybody's ultimate interest to maintain to an absolute minimum the quantity of radiation to which the embryo is uncovered. as right this moment as I say "absolute minimum", what does this propose? It skill that x-rays might desire to be taken basically at an identical time as they are easily needed, i.e. in "emergency" situations the area therapy might desire to be rendered (e.g. in situations relating to trauma, an infection, or soreness). in the form that your tooth isn't bothering you and is no longer contaminated, then you definately somewhat do no longer desire the x-ray in view which you do no longer desire therapy. That being stated, save in mind that the quantity of radiation to which you're uncovered from a dental x-ray is noticeably small. it fairly is a trifling fraction of that required to interrupt DNA in an embryo. for this reason, in spite of if the x-ray tube have been pointed without placed off at your abdomen, it fairly is particularly no longer likely that the embryo might desire to be harmed. in spite of the fact that if the tube heavily isn't pointed at your abdomen. it is going to probable be pointed at your head. aside from, your abdomen may well be lined with a lead apron which will deflect all the radiation. you will locate the area i decide in this. you like no longer concern if a radiograph might desire to be taken. we are asserting "no non-crucial x-rays" in the time of the 1st trimester by way of reality there is that complication-unfastened, complication-unfastened risk that it would desire to reason harm, and there is not any reason to tutor an embryo unnecessarily to that complication-unfastened, complication-unfastened risk. In an emergency project, you thru reality the mum desire therapy. the prospect on your being pregnant is a lot extra effective from being shrink than the rigidity of an infection or severe dental soreness than it fairly is from the x-ray. each style of therapy we scientific medical doctors make is in line with a evaluation of the hazards as against the advantages.