I take my children to my dentist now and he likes to have routine dental x-rays taken. I'm taking my 5 year old on Monday for a check up/cleaning and I know that he will suggest x-rays again. My son had an x-ray 2 years ago for a fall he had taken on his mouth. Everything turned out okay but even with me, my husband and my other children, my dentist wants x-rays. I refuse them time and time again because I have no issues with my mouth...haven't had a cavity in many years; my other children also have no issues.
So, how do you feel about dental x-rays for your children? Do you allow them or refuse and if you do allow them, how often are they taken?
Thanks for your input.
Edit: My concern is exposure to radiation, especially at such a young age.
Well, I did go to my dentist appointment and told my dental hygienist that I did not want x-rays. She wasn't surprised because I refused them so many times in the past BUT she did make a point to say that "the dentist has a "policy" now that patients need to be x-rayed at least every 2 years." Hmmm...not sure they can refuse to see me as a patient if I continue to refuse as I do NOT have any issues with my teeth. And my children have no known issues either.
I appreciate all the folks who took the time to comment and I especially thank those who supported what I was trying to convey: that I don't want radiation in my body or in the bodies of my children. I cannot control how much radiation I get from the sun but by golly, I can control whether or not we get x-rays from the dentist.
Thanks again for the feedback!
We allow them.. I don't understand the huge issue with it?
They are also looking for tumors or mass as well, along with bone density and other issues - not just cavities.
I allow then every time they are required. I'd rather them catch a problem early than wait until its too late. I'm not bothered by the tiny the amount receive from x-rays. We are exposed to much more than that on a daily basis.
My daughter has received the routine xrays which are once a year which is the norm..
Hubby and I don't have issues with our teeth, neither does daughter, BUT we are proactive in preventative health.
Our daughter has a perfect set of teeth and beautiful smile with no ortho needed but that does NOT stop us from preventative measures to protect her health. I'd much rather catch something early when I might have an option to do something about it vs waiting because I am scared of an xray.
You get a lot more radiation than you think just living your daily life.
Just my opinion but the media hype of things like this is just to scare people.
X-rays can find things wrong with teeth that a dentist's eye cannot. I am crazy about my kids' teeth because they need to keep them for life. My dentist is also a good friend of mine and I trust her judgment. She takes x-rays once a year.
We are constantly exposed to radiation just by being alive. If you read a book you're exposed to radiation (it's in the wood the paper is made from) and if you have a smoke detector, you're exposed that way as well. You are exposed to more radiation while flying in a plane than during a dental x-ray. Do you refuse to do that as well?
You get exposed to more radiation just walking around outside every day.
So no, I am not worried about it. I'd rather they find something early than when it becomes a bigger, more obvious problem.
There's a huge difference between getting dental x-rays once a year and the brief radiation exposure, and back in the day when you could walk into a shoe store and get your feet x-rayed however much you wanted. People know better now.
I'm pretty anal about teeth, so I do everything I can to ensure both my and my kids' teeth are growing and developing properly, including x-rays every two years. I think it's a pretty big benefit for a very, very small risk.
my daughter got her first xray at 4. her pedi dentist didnt want to push it on her. she got them done when she had 2 cavities filled :(. when we see her dentist in march she will probably want another and its all good to me. i would rather know if theres a cavity before it gets bad. my husband and i get routine xrays too. they are soo quick so the radiation exposure isnt like it would be if you were getting an mri or a ct scan.
The dose is apx equivalent to 1 plane flight, or about a week of walking around (from background radiation). (so at 3yo, she's had the equiv of about 150 xrays already).
So I have no concern about it.
It becomes a concern, to me, when many many xrays need to be taken. Like when a child is hospitalized and needs dozens or even hundreds of xrays. To me (and my son's doctors), that's when the risk/reward needs to be seriously weighed.
2 a year I don't even blink at.
Radiation builds up in your body and lasts forever. It is cumulative. I have refused bitewings for over 20 yrs and I have never had a cavity or gum problems. Skip them. You never know when your kid will have to have a catscan, or lung or x-ray........
I have a four year old and a two year old. We do not let the dentist do x-rays on them, and we don't have them done on ourselves for that matter. My husband is a natural doc and does not believe they are necessary on a regular basis. I agree. We don't allow flouride treatments either. It is your call; stand firm in what you are comfortable with.
I am with you. My husband and I don't have any cavities and my kids have had no issues to date. I question if yearly X-rays are really needed.
My best friend is a nurse and just read an article about a possible link to thyroid cancer. I really do not know if the risk outweigh the benefit. I would allow X-rays if they saw something suspicious but if everything looks ok then why do it.
I know they claim it is not harmful but how do we really know? When my mom was a kid she used to go to the corner shoe store to X-Ray her feet for fun. http://www.museumofquackery.com/devices/shoexray.htm
In my opinion dental x-rays are unnecessary in most cases - and most dental problems can be reversed without any dental procedure... there's a lot of great info on dental health at toothsoap-dot-com which explains how to reverse gum disease and cavities using natural dental products and proper diet and nutrition. Most people are already overexposed to ionizing radiation and a dentist who wants to continually x-ray is threatening your health and possibly just doing it to profit off of billing the x-ray procedures. I know of a couple good holistic dentists in Kendall if anyone needs a more health conscious dental practitioner.
I'm with you. I took my 6 year old son to the dentist two weeks ago and I refused x-rays. I had them done the previous year. I don't feel that it's always necessary especially since he still has baby teeth, so why allow the radiation even if it is a small amount? My dentist is now doing something called "digital" x-rays which is suppose to be even less radiation than before, but like you, I'm cautious.
I refuse. My 4 y/o never had an x-ray and my 14 y/o had a few before his braces were put on at the age of 11, and since then I always refuse on other occasions.
Well we all go regularly, the whole family. I started taking my kids at approx 2 years old for checkups, and I am glad that i have done that. The dentist has found things on xrays that we did not know were happening. Like teeth way up in the jaw, that when it would come down, would actually move all the teeth in the mouth over, then we'd have a real problem. We do them once or twice a year, I can't really remember. We have dental insurance as well. I think most of the time when you get an xray, there are lots of precautions taken so you won't get cancer or whatever from radiation.
Ours do a yearly X-Ray and I approve it. I think it is very preventative so the kids will not have to face cavities and crooked teeth all of a sudden. I know ahead of time if there are a bunch of cavities forming or they might need a tooth pulled to make room for a new one.
I think any normal dentist would require a yearly one. If your kids have exemplary enamel and will never have cavities then I would still want one at certain times.
Xrays once a year.
I had so many xrays as a child...I am surprised I don't glow...I ask for full lead covering for every part of me that is not getting zapped.
But once a year teeth xrays for me kids i have no problem.
I have to have them due to dental issues. Also, they are good at finding small cracks and things in aging teeth that otherwise cannot be seen with the naked eye, such as bone density, recessed gums, joint issues... So, in my opinion, it's good to have them an adult, and they will be necessary if any dental work (such as braces on a younger child) is going to be done.
But, for a child with a healthy mouth and zero issues, I would decline for a while, but not forever.
I'm like you, I don't like the exposure unless absolutely necessary. I've turned them down. I turn down the floride treatments too. My dentist probably thinks I'm a whack job! lol!
added: My 6 year old has had x-rays once (she has been going since 2)... that will be it for awhile... just no need unless the doc is seeing some problems that may require this...
I get them and once my son is old enough he will too. I did not have them while pregnant, but otherwise have not missed and have had plenty more when holding pets still for xrays. You should be drapped with q gown and have a thyroid protector if one is not attached. The machines these days give a very low dose and it is very narrow so only the area that is being xrayed is receiving much radiation. I figure they are a good way to see problems, then again I have had some. They also let you see the roots. In the end though if you aren't comfortable maybe do every other visit or talk to the dentist about a partial set if anything is seen on exam
