Radiation Risks at the Dental Office

27 Dec Radiation Risks at the Dental Office

Recently there was a New York Times article about the routine use of CAT scan x-rays in dental offices, and the increased radiation they emit. The article questioned the risk-reward benefits of using the CAT scan versus routine dental x-rays, digital x-rays or a Panorex x-ray. We would like to share with you our views on the matter.

Our office utilizes digital radiography and Panorex x-rays which emit substantially less radiation than conventional film x-rays or CAT scans.  We believe that most conventional implants can be diagnosed with a digital Panorex (which emits the least radiation of all) and shows us the bone levels in two dimensions. When doing certain kinds of dental implants or complicated orthodontics , we may need to have a three dimensional view of the jaw, which a CAT scan does very well. When deemed necessary,  we will refer a patient out to have a CAT scan. As in most things in life, a small amount of a good thing is good, while too much of a good thing may not be; moderation is the key.

Feel free to contact us as your #1 NYC dentist,  if you have any questions. We hope to continue to keep you informed about new innovations, and articles that we feel our patients will find interesting!