MINIMAL X-RAY EXPOSURE
Minimally Invasive
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Biocompatible Materials
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Respecting Your Time
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Minimal X-Ray Exposure
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Preventative, Not Reactive
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Whole Body Connection
Are X-Rays Really Necessary?
Trust us, if we could do dentistry without x-rays, we would. The reason we have to use them is that you have all kinds of hidden anatomical parts that can only be seen with x-rays. Every person is different anatomically, and that includes your teeth! For instance, did you know that tooth roots can actually wrap around major nerves in your jaw and that those nerves would get severed if your dentist couldn’t see them. You don’t want that. Seriously! We don't want that. Double Seriously!
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There is a misconception that x-rays are so dangerous that avoiding them all together is safer than taking them. But that is not how true cost/benefit analysis works in medicine. You wouldn't take an x-ray randomly, you are taking one in a very specific part of your body and you're doing it to either make sure there are no hidden issues, or to identify the extent of an issue that is a problem.
So yes, we take x-rays at your initial exam and every year thereafter because we need to see inside your teeth and gums to see what is going on and then to see if anything changed. But, we do what we can to minimize your x-ray exposure since we don't want to expose you to any medically unnecessary x-rays. ​
How Do You Minimize My X-Ray Exposure?
A 7 hour plane flight exposes a person to as much radiation as does a series of about 16 regular dental x-rays.
Flying vs Dental X-ray
relative radiation
We minimize your exposure by only taking the x-rays we think you have to have. And, if you are coming from another office, AND if you have x-rays from that office that are diagnostic quality, then we will do our best to use those instead of taking new ones.
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Remember, not all offices x-rays are of diagnostic quality. We have seen x-rays that have been taken from machines so old, it's hard to imagine how the machines are still operational. We have to be able to fully read your other office's x-rays to use them, but we will try.
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We also do not religiously take photos once a year if you have a history of healthy teeth. If you have had a number of issues, then it is very important to keep on schedule. For instance, we use sedative fillings to help stop cavities from growing. Only with an x-ray can we truly compare whether that procedure is successful or not. It's not exactly an all or nothing issue with x-ray radiation. If you look at the relative radiation chart, you will see that dental x-rays are so low compared to other forms of x-rays that they're almost negligible. A CT spine x-ray contains 1,760 times the radiation of a single dental x-ray. Yes, 1,760 times! (8.8 mSv/.005 mSv)
What Do You Mean By Safest X-Rays?
X-ray technology has come a very, very long way in recent years. If you are old enough, you may think of an x-ray as simply a picture. There is an x-ray camera, they point it at you, and then the x-ray film gets processed. ​That's not how things work anymore.
The machines that take the x-rays all have computers that run sophisticated algorithms on the data that ultimately requires much less radiation than old film x-ray units. These algorithms make it possible to use a much smaller dose of x-ray radiation to compile the picture. We don't know exactly how they do it, but we do know the x-ray levels are low enough and directed enough that even the ADA says you don't need to wear the lead apron and collar anymore. We still use them since it can't hurt and it will protect you even further.
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So safe may be relative, but there is very little to fear about getting an X-ray these days. You actually have much more to fear about not getting an X-ray since your number one ally in preventative care are the x-rays that let you see what the human eye cannot.
X-rays Are a Preventative Measure too!
X-rays are absolutely a preventative tool. Like we just said, x-rays see what the human eye cannot. If we can visually see a cavity on you, that means it's really, really bad and has been there for a long time. It is the smaller ones we want to catch. If they are small enough, they can be stopped and in some instances healed. Once decay gets too big, you may need an onlay, crown, or even an extraction. There is a point where a tooth cannot be saved, so getting regular hygiene and exams and having our staff check out what is going on is super critical.
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Again, I know you don't like x-rays, but the relative health risks between getting an x-ray and letting dental decay progress unabated is clear: get checked out, get your x-rays, and get the treatment you need!
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Last thing, x-rays also give us the power to know where to stop drilling. If you don't know where to stop, your provider either takes out too much tooth material (that's not minimally invasive!), or not enough, and your decay will continue to work against your health.
