How Safe is Safe?
Radiographs are a vital part of your child’s dental diagnostic process. Without them, certain dental conditions can and will be missed. Take routine panoramic x-rays on kids based only on their age or stage of dental development. That means, there is no other reason for taking the x-ray other than just the routinary requisite. Some pediatric dentists would call to mind the ALARA principle, which stands for “As Low As Reasonably Achievable.” Minimize your child’s exposure to x-rays as much as you can, but be aware there likely will be times where x-rays are necessary and beneficial.
Looking at the benefits of radiographs, for example – needed to survey erupting teeth, diagnose bone diseases, evaluate the results of an injury, or plan orthodontic treatment. It allows dentists to diagnose and treat health conditions that cannot be detected during a clinical examination. If issues are found and treated early, dental care is more comfortable for your child and more affordable for you. But they should not be a part of every exam, nor should they be given to children according to an office policy or a formula?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends radiographs and examinations every six months for children with a high risk of tooth decay, or on average, once a year for most. Or else, every 3 years is a good idea to obtain a complete set of radiographs.
Pediatric dentists are particularly careful to minimize the child’s exposure to radiation. With modern safeguards, the amount of radiation is extremely small and the risk negligible. Dental radiographs are a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem. Lead body aprons and shields will protect your child. Today’s equipment filters out unnecessary x-rays and restricts the x-ray beam to the area of interest.
Many dentists now use digital x-ray which have less radiation than conventional x-rays, or use cavity detectors rather than x-rays. High-speed film and proper shielding assure that your child receives a minimal amount of radiation exposure.
ALARA at Auburn Avenue Dental
Rest assured that our young patients at Auburn Avenue dental, should radiographs be essential, will get As Low As Reasonably Achievable x-ray exposure. Safety first, at all times, all the time.
