Reducing radiation at the dental office
Question: I know my dentist says that the use of digital X-rays lessens the exposure to radiation, but is there any technology to get it to zero?
Answer: Speaking of “exposure,” I was exposed to how life was in the 1700s after a tour of an 18th Century Palace in Vienna a couple of years ago. I was motivated to buy a book on medicine in early modern Europe. Last night I read that out of 1,000 people born during that time, only 28 died of natural causes in what we call today “old age.” Back then most diseases were blamed on demons and curses. (Today, it’s from watching reality TV shows.)
One medical technique was called transference: If you had a fever, they put a horse in your room and hoped your disease would leave your body and jump to the animal, which eventually was sacrificed. Imagine the nun coming into your room at the castle’s infirmary: “Hello, Mrs. Nussbaum. I think you’ve met Trigger before. I’ll leave you two alone now. Ring this bell if you need me!”
There has been an increase in oral cancer, such as tongue cancer, in the last decade. It is important that the X-ray beam is focused on the teeth during dental X-rays, minimizing scatter into the soft tissues of the head and neck region.
Many dentists are using digital X-rays, which use much less radiation than conventional film X-rays and pop up on a computer screen, but a relatively new device called Dexshield reduces your exposure even more. It does so by allowing only a 1-by-2-inch opening for radiation to pass though as it makes its way to your teeth.
How do you know if your dentist is using it? Check if the large hoop that the X-ray cone is being aimed at is completely blocked with a black (lead-filled) disc with only a small postage stamp opening. For more info and photos, drop us an email.
(Oh — and we promise to keep all livestock out of the room during your dental treatment.)
Mitchell Josephs, DDS
Dr. Josephs practices Implant Cosmetic and General Dentistry with an emphasis on implants, veneers and complex crown and bridge treatment. He is on staff at JFK Medical Center and is a Faculty Advisory Board member at McGill University’s Faculty of Dentistry. He completed his residency at Manhattan’s Beth Israel Medical Center and Mt. Sinai Hospital. Published in the JADA (Journal of the American Dental Association) October 2017.
Implant, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry
44 Cocoanut Row, Suite 206-208
Palm Beach, FL 33480