As your family’s trusted St. George dentist, we want to stay on top of your questions and concerns. Two common questions we get from our patients are “How often should I get x-rays?” and “How safe are they?”
Frequency
Some patients need x-rays every six months, while others who are prone to less cavities may only need them every couple of years. We recommend that children get x-rays more often due to their constantly changing mouths and the speed at which a cavity can overtake a small tooth.
Safety
Let’s be honest, the word “radiation” is unsettling. Some even think of nuclear bombs when they hear the word. You should know however, that dental x-rays are very safe. Yes you are exposed to radiation when you are x-rayed, but it’s very minute. Huffington Post points out that, “…you get about three and a half times the radiation from space (if you live in Denver) than you do from a full mouth X-ray.”
While you wouldn’t want to be x-rayed every day, periodically it’s worth the tradeoff.