Let's set the scene. You are sitting in the dental chair. The dental assistant is taking some x-rays for your exam. They place the sharp plastic x-ray sensor in your mouth (I know we should reinvent this archaic semi-torturous device), ask you to bite down, and then proceed to RUN as fast as they can out of the room. And you are like....okay if the dental assistants appear to be worried about being dosed with radiation...shouldn't I be worried too??
X-Ray History
X-ray imaging was discovered in 1895 and not widely used in dentistry until the 1950's. Dentists started off using x-ray films which had to be developed in dark rooms. Now we use digital x rays . With digital imaging systems, the sensor is directly connected to the computer and no darkroom processing is required. The switch from film to digital x-rays happened in 1987 thanks to our boy Dr. Franics Mouyen.
Where Is The Lead Apron
Lead aprons were standard of care when film x rays were used. Now the dose of radiation is so low with digital dental x rays...we no longer widely use lead aprons. Lead aprons were common back in day for a couple of reasons:
- Older x-ray systems sent x-ray beams wide and far - so to protect patients we covered the body with a material that blocked x ray beams: a lead apron.
- Film x-rays produced 90% more radiation than digital x-rays. So with digital imaging we dont really have excess x-ray beams to block.
Can I Still Use The Lead Apron At My Appointments?
Do we still have lead aprons in our dental offices? Absolutely. We support body autonomy...so if you want one...just ask! No shame at all.
But do they NEED to be used with our updated technology...nope. We, and the American Dental Association, don't recommend them anymore. Like we talked about, dentists switched from film to digital x-rays over a decade ago. This change dramatically reduced the dose of radiation produced by obtaining dental x-rays. Along with this, the tube that we place close to your face which is responsible for the x-ray beams is 1) smaller 2) more precise and is 3) filtered. Basically, this means the x-ray beams are much more focused and we are able to guide them to a specific spot. So, we don't really have anything to block with lead aprons anymore. But, that being said, if it makes you more comfortable....we are more than happy to use one. I mean hey... if anything they make lovely weighted blankets!
Let's Talk Dose
Okay. So, what is the dose of radiation produced by dental imaging? Is it something to be concerned about? Let't dive in.
According to International Atomic Energy Agency, "doses from intraoral and cephalometric dental radiological procedures are lower, usually less than one day of natural background radiation."
What Does That Even Mean
Just by being alive we are "hit" with radiation. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that, "Background radiation is the radiation that is present in the natural environment. Natural background radiation is all around us, all of the time." So, in the medical field we often compare radiation doses to those of "background radiation equivalents".
Dose Of Dental - Background Equivalents
X-rays are measured in mSvs. Everyday of our lives we are exposed to a certain level of mSvs. For context, people who work in environments with high exposure to radiation are limited to an exposure of 50mSvs per year as a health precaution.
- Smoking about a pack and a half of cigarettes for 1 year exposes you to almost 40mSvs of radiation.
- A cross country flight from California to New York will expose you to about .03-.05 mSvs.
- Consumption of a single banana exposes you to about 0.0001mSvs.
Check out this awesome graphic from TeethTalkGirl!
Expose Yourself To Dental X-rays
We typically take imaging every 6 months to once a year. This ensures we are not missing things that may be growing between teeth or under the gums. We usuually take 3 types of images. Lets break them down below:
- Bitewing/Periapical
- A single image of either of the above exposes you to about 0.0002 mSvs
- Full Mouth Series (FMX)
- This is multiple images for a complete look at this mouth and exposes you to about 0.0040 mSvs (so basically it is like eating 40 bananas hahah!)
- Panoramic
- This, like an FMX, gives a great overall view of the mouth and exposes you to about 0.007 mSvs.
Tic Tac Toe - SAFE
Research points us to the idea that dental imaging...when taken appropriately...is safe. Nancy Pelosi with her iconic "Tic-Tac-Toe" A WINNER. If you have no idea what I am talking about...sorry...but here is the clip (Watch here)
Conclusion
Dental x-rays are safe - when used correctly. We are exposed to background radiation all day...everyday. Dental imaging has changed over the past two decades - technological advancements now allow us to take images without exposing patients to excess radiation. We have progressed from film to now digital imaging with a drastic reduction in radiation exposure. With this new technology, lead aprons are no longer recommended, imaging is safer, and dentists are able to minimize radiation exposure.
Also, we dont stay in the room for your x-rays because we take hundreds of x-rays a day. So, sure it is fine to be exposed for your appointment, but if we stayed in the room for every patient we would be exposed to way too much radiation!
As always, if you have any questions please reach out! We would love to hear from you. You can use the form on our homepage or reach out on instagram!
