| Radiation and Dental X-rays |
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We are proud to announce our recent transitioned from conventional film to digital radiography! This article will explore radiation and dental x-rays.
First, with digital x-rays, you, the patient, are now exposed to a third less radiation. Four conventional bitewing x-rays requires 38µSv (micro sieverts) of radiation whereas the same four digital images requires just 13µSv. Likewise, a conventional full mouth x-ray series (18 films) requires 180µSv while the same digital series requires only 60µSv. Pretty cool, right?
But did you also know that just by living and breathing on this planet you are exposed to cosmic and natural radiation every day? This is known as "background radiation." Now here comes the fun part…
The average amount of background radiation to which we are exposed on a daily basis is 10µSv. Thus the average yearly background radiation dose is 3,650µSv per capita. Again, this is background radiation. Now remember this number: 100,000µSv. This is the exposure threshold above which the cancer risk begins to increase. This means that you would have to get 7,411 digital bitewing exams in one year to increase your risk of getting cancer from radiation exposure in a dental office. Whoa! Here are some more fun facts:
- Eating a banana daily for one year: 36µSv
- Airline flight from NY to LA: 40µSv
- Sleeping next to someone: .05µSv
- Visiting Guarapari Beach in Brazil: 10,000µSv
- Mammogram: 3,000µSv
- Chest X-ray: 50µSv
- Chest MRI: 6,900µSv
Crazy, right?! Basically, you could do all of these things in a year and STILL not get enough exposure to reach the 100,000µSv threshold. This article was not intended to make you stress about your radiation exposure. It was actually to put your mind at ease; to give you one less thing to worry about as you live day by day, because we all need less stress… but that's a topic for another day! |
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| Preventive Dental Care, Why?
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Many oral health issues can be identified and resolved at the early stages, helping you to avoid more costly treatment later. In some cases early detection of serious conditions even helps save lives.
When you come in for a visit, our comprehensive screening evaluates you for gum disease, oral cancer, and tooth decay. These can afflict children, too, making it important at all stages of life to maintain regular dental appointments.
Help us keep you safe and healthy. Schedule regular checkups for you and your family.
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| Free Oral Cancer Screenings in April |
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Though you may not remember it, each time you are seen in our office for a checkup, we perform an oral cancer screening. In fact we're so convinced that everyone should get screened that we're giving them away... FOR FREE!
Our office is offering free oral cancer screenings to the public during the month of April. An oral cancer screening is quick, painless, and non-invasive. All someone need do is call our office for an appointment.
If you know someone who could benefit from an oral cancer screening, tell them about this free event or just forward this email! You might just save the life of someone you love.
Sincerely,
Dr Layer and Team |
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