Our practice often gets questions about the amount of radiation received during routine x-rays. Many patients also want to understand why it is necessary for them to have them taken. Let’s start off with how much radiation you are getting during routine x-rays. The dose of radiation is measured in millirems or mrem. According to the American Nuclear Society, this is how much radiation you expect from common activities: 620 mrem/year = the average level of radiation per person in the US 50000 mrem/year = the safe allowable dose for people that are exposed to radiation in their work 1 mrem = two hours in a jet plane 7 mrem/year = from living in a brick house 10 mrem/year = cooking with natural gas 2 mrem/year = from sleeping next to someone else 36 mrem/year = from smoking one pack of cigarettes a day 42 mrem = breast mammogram per breast 700 mrem = abdominal x-ray 0.5 mrem = one dental x-ray The amount of radiation (mrem) that a patient receives during dental x-rays is very small when compared to other sources of radiation in everyday life. In addition, our office uses modern digital x-rays. The amount of radiation received from a digital x-ray can decrease up to another 80%. That means while a standard x-ray gives off 0.5 mrem, a digital x-ray can give off as little as 0.1 mrem. Why are x-rays important? During a standard exam, Dr Schweifler is able to examine only visible surfaces of the teeth and soft tissue. Without x-rays, he can only diagnose those problems that become visually apparent in the mouth and inevitably, this means that such problems are much more extensive and treatments are more extensive and less predictable. Routine films allow us to diagnose problems in their infancy and treat them before they become bigger and more costly. X-rays also allow Dr Schweifler to examine the jaw bones for any unusual growths or abnormalities. While cancer and tumors of the jaw are rare, the prognosis is always better the earlier these issues are discovered and treated.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 22:38:39 +0000
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