Dental X-Ray Safety

It’s easy to be skeptical about X-rays whether we speak of a full-body X-ray or a dental X-ray. Radiation is radiation. People often think about whether X-Ray is safe or not. So, here are the facts before you judge too harshly, though. Dental X-rays can be one of the best preventive tools for your dental health. We offer various treatments at Bigelow, Pastrell, Buchanan & Hartzell Dentistry, but helping you become better informed is one of the best ways to decide what will be best for you.

According to the American Dental Association, healthy adults typically receive routine dental X-rays every two to three years. The timeline for children is every one or two years and one and a half for teens. Children and teens require more X-rays than adults because their teeth are still developing, which makes them more susceptible to cavities.

In general, Drs. Greg Bigelow, Peter Pastrell, Justin Buchanan, and Chad Hartzell will determine how often dental X-rays need to be taken for each individual patient, taking into consideration physical symptoms, clinical findings, and risk for infection. Most dental professionals use Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) to help them determine how often X-rays should be taken, so you can rest assured that you are making an informed decision.

In addition to that, it should be reassuring to know that these days, most dental X-rays are digital, which significantly reduces your exposure to radiation. In fact, you’re likely to pick up more radiation just from being in the sun! Lead aprons and thyroid collars are also tools that Drs. Greg Bigelow, Peter Pastrell, Justin Buchanan, and Chad Hartzell, and our team used to keep X-ray exposure to a minimum.

At our office, we believe that diagnosing cavities and other potentially harmful conditions by dental X-ray do you more good than harm. If you have any questions about our X-rays, feel free to give our Grants Pass office a call or bring up the subject during your next appointment!