Tooth Be Told

As I reflect on the last 10 years as a dentist here in Niwot, I come back

to my favorite and most gratifying detail - being a part of the community. The

relationships that have been cultivated out of a shadow of a common phrase, “I’m

scared of the dentist,” have made me feel that this life and the connections to our

community are just as important as the technical skill of my career.

Whether at Rock & Rails, our kids’ Niwot flag football game, or a Saturday morning coffee hello, I feel grateful for our small-town, big-hearted community.

In this column, I hope to connect to you and give insight into

my whole-body approach to health and wellness. My perspective obviously starts with

me looking in your mouth, but I’d like to show you the value of how your mouth is the

gateway to your body.

This week’s edition discusses an important diagnostic tool used in our

field - dental radiography (x-rays). There is a longstanding stigma that dental x-rays are

dangerous and uncomfortable, and sometimes overused in our profession, so I’d like to

debunk a lot of these misconceptions.

Commonly, I get questions like, “Why do I need these?” and, “Are these safe?”

First, x-rays may be obtained to evaluate a symptom or to screen for occult

disease in asymptomatic patients. Failing to obtain x-rays can render an incomplete diagnosis and inadequate comprehensive care. X-rays can detect signs of periodontal disease and

tooth decay or asymptomatic tooth infections. There are both benign tumors and

malignancies that grow in our mandible or sinus that can go undetected without

x-rays.

Radiation exposure associated with dental imaging represents a minor contribution to

the total exposure from all sources. The National Council on Radiation Protection and

Measurements has estimated that the mean effective radiation dose from all

sources in the U.S. is 6.2 millisieverts (mSv) per year, with about half of this dose from natural sources such as soil and radon, with the other half from man-made sources, including medical sources and consumer products.

Overall, dental imaging accounts for less than 1% of the estimated collective annual effective dose received from medical imaging, such as CT scans and other procedures. Less than 100mSv over a short or long period of time is shown to have no observable health impact.

The amount of critical and sometimes incidental health information that is gained from a

dental x-ray is way more important than the risk of a microscopic dose of radiation, which is far more than exposure to a banana, or flying in an airplane.

Use of digital radiography also minimizes the already low radiation exposure for

both you and our dental team.

By refusing a dental x-ray, your health provider is limited in their knowledge to treat you to the

best of their ability. While most dental conditions are not life threatening, early detection

and treatment can save your teeth and more serious bacteria-induced health problems.