Dental X-Rays: No more lead aprons

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM cracks me up. All you people will boast about all your international travels but then be scared about X-rays. A surgeon told me last week that a cross country airplane ride exposes the human body to the same amount of radiation as a CT scan. Pilots and flight attendants have the highest exposure rates to radiation…

That’s just not true. A cross country flight is the same as a few X-rays, not a CT scan. Also for what it is worth, the cross country flight stretches out over six hours and the radiation is diffused through your whole body. The radiation in a dental X-ray comes all at once and to your head alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few years ago, when I was poised to get a set of X-rays for a crown, I asked my dentist if I should be worried that it was too much radiation. She said that with digital X-rays the radiation was much less of a concern, and that they continued to use the lead aprons only because it made people feel safe. She also said I was showing my age; none of her younger patients ever ask about radiation. 😀

Maybe younger patients don't worry about nuking their thyroids...

[Anonymous]

It's a revenue ploy by the dental lobby. No need for a lead apron means that, hey, X-rays are completely safe! Why wouldn't you get one? In contrast, the lead apron is a concrete reminder that X-rays can be hazardous to your health. The lead aproon protocol makes it harder for the dentist to push x-rays, and easier for the unwilling patient to push back.

[Anonymous]

the day the dentist doesn’t leave the room during the xray is the day I dump my lead apron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the day the dentist doesn’t leave the room during the xray is the day I dump my lead apron.

I’m with you.