It’s important to ask if you need dental x-rays if you’re unsure.

At Croydon Dental, we take x-rays based on clinical need versus a predetermined time interval. The protocol for x-rays has changed in recent years, and we’re current with these recommendations.

The need for radiographs is based on individual need. Dr Mouna Hachichou considers a number of factors before he prescribes x-rays.

BENEFITS OF X-RAYS

X-rays help with diagnosing, helping your dentist determine the appropriate treatment and likely outcome of the treatment. X-rays can show dentists things like

  • ›  ill-fitting fillings,
  • ›  decay not evident on visual examination,
  • ›  loss of supporting bone structure,
  • ›  tumor masses, and
  • ›  dental abscesses.

 

RISKS OF X-RAYS

Using effective dose measurements, it’s fair to compare chest x-rays (0.08mSv), to the bitewing series (0.017mSv), to the panoramic (0.007mSv). Or, we can say that a complete mouth series equals about five days of background radiation. A bitewing series equals one day and a panoramic is equal to ten hours of background radiation.

A complete, full mouth series of radiographs results in a mortality risk estimate of 2.8 cases per one million examinations. By comparison, anyone that has smoked more than one cigarette has one in a million chance of dying of heart disease or cancer. We accept similar mortality risks every time we go on a three hundred mile road trip, ride a bicycle ten miles, or visit New York City for a weekend.

Contact us at Croydon Dental if you’d like to discuss if you need an x-ray or to talk more about its benefits and risks.