Xrays are an integral part of a dental examination. While we always try to limit the amount of radiation that we expose our patients to, a dental examination is not complete without xrays. They help the dentist diagnose anything from cavities, infections and bone loss to tumors and other lesions in the jaw.
With digital xrays that we now use, there is much less radiation than the previous film xrays. The 4 xrays that we typically take as a part of our routine examinations amounts to approximately 0.005 mSv. To put that into perspective, that is less than the average amount of natural background radiation that we are exposed to everyday, and about the same radiation we would receive from a flight to Seattle or Edmonton.
Our recommendation of xrays varies for each patient depends on their dental history. For kids, we will typically recommend xrays every 9-12 months. Childhood caries (cavities) is the most common dental disease in kids. The enamel on baby teeth is thinner than that of adult teeth, so cavities tend to reach the nerves of the teeth much quicker, resulting in pain and possibly infection. Even though baby teeth are eventually replaced, they play an important role in keeping space available for adult teeth, so it is important to keep them healthy.
For adults, we recommend xrays every 1-3 years.
Factors we take into consideration include:
1) Are there any areas that we are watching because they looked suspicious in previous xrays?
2) When is the last time the patient has had a cavity?
3) What type of dental work has the patient received in the past?
Even a patient who has never had a cavity before should still have regular check up xrays. They just may not need to be as frequently as someone who has had more extensive dental work done in the past, or a recent history of dental caries.
For more information on dental xrays and other aspects of care from Vancouver dentists Dr. John, Janson and Anika Lee, please contact us. See information on our other General Dentist Services as well as implants and cosmetic dentistry. We are open Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 7:30am-3:30pm, and Tuesday 9:30am-5:30pm.
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