Today Dr. Kuiper explains that “there have been a lot of changes to radiology safety". Tune in to today's Tuesday Tooth Talk and find out the risks, benefits, and what has changed.
If you’ve been in a dental office before, you may know that dental professionals use x-rays in order to see what’s going on underneath the surface of your mouth. Are there cavities between the teeth? Is the level of bone around the teeth healthy? It’s a great tool for helping to evaluate your oral health. You may have seen or experienced differences in dental offices when it comes to x-rays over the years since there have been changes in radiology safety. You used to wear big, thick lead blankets. Then, they got a little thinner and made of materials that were just as effective, but lighter and less bulky. Now, within the last few months, many new and interesting findings are coming out! With how crisp, clean, and excellent the image quality is, the amount of radiation that we need to use in order to get that image has actually decreased substantially. This is about 1/20th or less of the radiation that you may have been exposed to even 20 years ago. In all reality, lead blankets, aprons, and thyroid collars will most likely become a thing of the past within the next few years. It may seem strange but there are also some findings that maybe the lead aprons have caused more problems than they have solved. Our recommendation is to do your own research by looking online to see what the American Dental Association and American Medical Association have to say on the topic of x-ray safety. Or, come talk to us! We’d love to answer any questions you have and help you feel at ease while you’re in the dental chair! Please don’t hesitate to bring up your questions at your next appointment and we would love to have a conversation about what is best for your health. Or, contact us today and we can answer any immediate questions you might have.
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