X-Rays: Not so Scary Anymore
A big fear patients have in regard to family dentistry is radiation exposure from x-rays. While we understand concerns over radiation, we wanted to clear the air about them. Nowadays, radiation from x-rays at your local dentist’s office has been greatly reduced from previous decades; in fact, family dentistry has minimized radiation exposure by 90% (since then). Radiation exposure from a typical set of x-rays subjects you to less radiation than a day in the sun.
These significant figures owe themselves to the advent of digital x-rays. Given the new technology, it has become even more advantageous to get dental x-rays when there are benefits to them. Intra-oral x-rays, for example, continue to be the most effective method of early tooth decay detection — a notoriously hidden oral disease until its later stages. X -rays also give sight to your nasal passages, throat, and the relative alignment of your teeth, all of which would be difficult to assess without x-rays.
Family Dentistry Takeaways
What we want to stress as the takeaway here is that dental x-rays in 2015 are about as safe, if not safer than, just a regular day in the sun. Moreover, x-rays are an integral part of family dentistry’s ability to ensure your oral health. From early detection of gum disease and tooth decay to early detection of oral cancer, x-rays remain your best — and now your safest — option.