Ask Well: How Often Should You Get Dental X-Rays?

People who see a dentist regularly and have good oral hygiene and no current dental problems might need bitewing X-rays of molars only every two to three years to check for early cavities, said Dr. Aruna Ramesh, director of the oral and maxillofacial radiology division at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. More extensive X-rays may be needed every three to five years to check the health of roots and adjacent bone. 

Children may need X-rays as often as every year or two because their teeth are changing rapidly, said Dr. Ada Cooper, a practicing dentist in New York City and a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association.

“We all know that dental X-rays are a very useful tool,” detecting dental damage and disease that can’t be seen with the eye, Dr. Cooper said. With some gum disease, for instance, “the only way your dentist is going to be able to know the severity of bone loss is to take X-rays.”

Although X-rays expose people to radiation, the risk from dental X-rays is low and dropping, as manufacturing companies work to reduce dosage, said Dr. Denis Kinane, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. 

There are a few reports of links between dental X-rays and cancer, including a 2012 study that found a small association with brain cancer. But Dr. Kinane said this connection could be explained by a variety of factors besides X-rays, including the fact that pain from a developing tumor might have led to more X-rays. If there were a problem, it would show up first in dentists and dental nurses, who might shoot 10 to 20 X-rays a day, even though they step out of the room when the radiographs are taken -- but there is no evidence that they are at higher risk of cancer than the general population, Dr. Kinane said. 

Some procedures will need to be guided by X-rays or will require a series of X-rays for proper treatment, Dr. Kinane said.

Dr. Ramesh said that patients should ask their dentists whether they absolutely need the images to help with treatment decisions. Also, patients may want to inquire whether dentists are using the fastest possible exposure to minimize radiation, she said.

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/ask-well-how-often-should-you-get-dental-x-rays/

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