When intraoral x-rays are needed, a lead apron and a thyroid collar will be used. When evaluating for the need for braces, or the presence of wisdom teeth, a special x-ray is taken called a panoramic. For this x-ray, a lead apron will be used which covers the front and back of the patient, but thyroid collar cannot be used as it will distort the image. We use the most current digital technology, called digital sensors, which requires only a tiny amount of radiation. The digital x-rays have 90% less radiation than the non-digital x-rays.
There is a lot of concern from parents regarding dental radiation. It is important to understand that the radiation from dental x-rays is very small in comparison to other natural sources of radiation. A single dental x-ray provides about 1 microsievert of radiation. Natural background radiation (from the ground, sun, etc.) that the average person receives each day is 10 microsieverts. During a plane flight from New York to Los Angeles, a person receives approximately 40 microsieverts of radiation.
Alafaya Pediatric Dentistry follows the American Dental Association’s recommendations to “image gently”. http://www.imagegently.org/Portals/6/Dental/IG14_DentalBrochure.pdf
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (407) 815-5543.
