Otherwise, dental X-rays are usually nothing to be concerned about! Digital X-Rays Use Lower Amounts of RadiationĪ digital X-ray requires less radiation to capture a high-resolution image than the traditional X-rays used a few decades ago. If you’ve ever wondered why your dentist draped you in a lead apron and all of their staff step out of the room each time you need a dental X-ray, it’s normal to have some concern about the safety of the procedure.įortunately, getting dental X-rays today is extremely safe…and the only reason why your dental team stays far away, is because of the risk of gradual exposure that accumulates day after day throughout their career. What’s the Difference Between a DDS and a DMD?.What are My Options for Anesthesia at a Dental Visit?.How Much Radiation do I Get from a Dental X-ray?.Does Insurance Cover Cosmetic Dentistry?.Do Some Dentists Take More Continuing Education Than Others?.Can I See a Dentist Without Dental Insurance?.Proper Tooth Brushing and Flossing Techniques.What is Crown Lengthening? Is It Right For You?.

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Why is Tooth Position Important? (Orthodontics).Sports Mouthguards and Dental Emergencies.Oral Sleep Apnea Appliances: How They Work.Kois Center Research Grant on Digital Technologies.“You’re not doomed, no matter how much you’ve been using that phone,” Davis explains. Eating green, leafy vegetables, like broccoli, and sleeping in the dark so the body can produce more melatonin can help undo DNA damage. RELATED: Is It Safe? Common Pregnancy Concernsĭavis also suggests turning off your phone and Wi-Fi router at night to minimize exposure, especially during sleep, since that’s when the body does a lot of its DNA repair. Distance is your friend.” The same may be true of iPads, which are designed and tested for use eight inches from the adult body. “You need to take similar precautions with cellphones. “You don’t wait for a car crash before putting your baby in car seat,” she says. Turkish researchers who studied lab animals found that prenatal exposure affected the offspring’s eyes, brain, liver and skin.ĭavis recommends that pregnant women keep cellphones well away from their abdomens and that moms not let babies play with the phones. While a phone’s radiation is the microwave rather than ionizing type, emissions may still damage DNA over the long term. One source of radiation is almost always with you: your cellphone. RELATED: 4 Pregnancy Travel Worries Answered It would take about 50 trips through an airport backscatter X-ray to receive the amount you’d get from a single dental X-ray, though you might want to opt for the pat-down because scanners are not always perfectly calibrated or operated.

Some women worry about those full-body scanners at the airport, but the ionizing radiation exposure they pose is “truly trivial,” Davis says. RELATED: 6 Hidden Home Hazards During Pregnancy If you had an X-ray before learning you were expecting, don’t panic: If the embryo were damaged, you likely would have miscarried, perhaps before you even knew you were pregnant. “Used inappropriately, they result in avoidable cancers.”ĭavis advises asking for diagnostic alternatives, such as MRI or ultrasound postponing routine mammograms and dental X-rays and avoiding a CAT scan-the equivalent of hundreds of chest X-rays-unless medically necessary. “X-rays save lives when used appropriately,” says epidemiologist and toxicologist Devra Davis, Ph.D., M.P.H., who wrote about radiation in In utero exposure can increase the offspring’s cancer risk later in life, and while the risk from a single X-ray is tiny, you’ll want to err on the side of caution. There’s generally a low increase in risk of birth defects when a mom-to-be has X-rays, though it depends on timing (earlier is riskier) and amount of exposure. Medical X-rays are the most common source of man-made radiation exposure, and obstetric experts suggest avoiding them when possible.

Reverse exposure x ray