Dental X-Rays: How Safe Are They?

Many patients know that when they visit their dentist, it may involve a dental x-ray. While it is true that finding and treating an oral problem prior to it getting out of hand is the best way for you to save time, money and pain, many patients are skeptical about x-rays and want to know the impact of a dental x-ray on their health:

Danger In X-rays

There is good news for anyone with a concern. Dental x-rays pose very little danger to the overall health of the person. When you get a dental x-ray you will receive a small amount of radiation, but it is smaller than the normal amount of radiation you get from natural sources every day. It is important to note that small amounts of radiation are natural and they exist everywhere.

Each year, people are exposed to 360 mrem of radiation on average. But the maximum level of safe radiation exposure is actually 5000. When you get a dental x-ray, the x-Ray emits .30 per unit. So if your mouth is full and multiple x-rays are taken, you are only exposed to six per dental session. So in order for you to be at any real health risk, you would need to have 60 full mouth x-rays taken each year. This will never happen.

Need For X-rays

X-rays are imperative to your dental care. When you schedule your regular dental appointments, getting an x-ray of your teeth will often be one of the most important components next to cleaning your teeth. This is done with regularity because of how important it is in identifying potential problems and protecting your teeth.

Remember that preventative care is much less costly and much less painful than fixing a problem after it has become serious. So getting regular x-rays to diagnose potential problems before they turn into something more serious can save you time, effort, money, and pain.

The x-rays are important as part of your regular dental check up because they are used to diagnose problems that cannot be detected otherwise. Without the x-rays, certain illnesses or problems would be missed with a visual inspection of your teeth or regular cleaning.

When you get an x-ray of your teeth, you make it possible for your dentist to give you the best dental care. If you have any questions about the manner in which x-rays are used or how they affect your health, talk to your dentist. He or she will tell you about the various ways x-rays are used today and what you need to know about the health risks associated with their use.

To learn more, or get help if you have other questions, contact a company such as Grover Dental Centre Dentists.