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 Childrens Dentist X-Rays 
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Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:40 pm
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Location: Illinois
Well recently our children's dentist requested that our children would have to get 6 month xrays even if no problem was suspected.

I replied with an email to their office and now wait for their reply:

Quote:
I want to first thank you and your office for the caring and professional work you have done for our children in the past. I write this letter because my wife returned home from of our children's appointments and told me that your office stated preventative x-rays will be required for our children on their next appointment. I know that you and your office believe they have our children's best interest at heart, but as the parents we disagree. Furthermore, knowing a great deal about ionizing radiation along with owning the equipment to measure it (something I do not believe your office has) I respectfully ask you to reconsider this request. I want to bring it to your attention that your assistant told my wife that your offices x-rays will only expose our children to radiation equal to what they receive outside from the sun. Your assistants statement is false because most all of what our children receive from the sun is non-ionizing radiation, your machines emit ionizing radiation which carry enough energy per quantum to ionize atoms or molecules which means it completely removes an electron from an atom or molecule. The risks from these ionizing radiation x-rays are cancer, strokes and cataracts to name a few over a lifetime of exposure. Experts agree that less ionizing radiation is best. While we will consider allowing our children to receive x-rays if needed, we are against preventative x-rays every 6-months.

Our governments own FDA.gov website has information worth reviewing:

fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/MedicalImaging/MedicalX-Rays/ucm315011.htm

Information for Patients and Parents
The American Dental Association (ADA) and the FDA recommend that clinicians perform dental X-ray examinations, including dental CBCT, only when necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of disease. The clinical benefit of a medically appropriate X-ray imaging exam outweighs the small radiation risk. However, efforts should be made to help minimize this risk.

The FDA also recommends that for all X-ray imaging procedures, including dental CBCT, patients and parents of children should:
Talk with their health care provider.

Review the benefits and risks of the procedure before it is performed.
Discuss if the imaging exam is necessary and if there are equally useful alternative exams that use no or less ionizing radiation.

Ask if the facility uses radiation reduction techniques such as size-based protocols for children.
Keep a record of your family’s medical-imaging histories.
The Image Wisely/FDA My Medical Imaging History and Image Gently "My Child's Medical Imaging Record" disclaimer icon cards provide a format for patients and parents to track all imaging exams as part of a discussion with the referring physician when a new exam is recommended.

Resources for patients and parents about the benefits and risks of dental CBCT and other X-ray imaging include:

FDA Medical Imaging: Pediatric X-ray Imaging
The Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging in partnership with the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology: "What is Pediatric Dental Radiography?" disclaimer icon and "What Parents Should Know about the Safety of Dental Radiology" disclaimer icon
The Radiological Society of North America's and the American College of Radiology's patient information webpage: RadiologyInfo: Dental Cone Beam CT

Benefits/Risks
X-ray imaging, including dental CBCT, provides a fast, non-invasive way of answering a number of clinical questions. Dental CBCT images provide three-dimensional (3-D) information, rather than the two-dimensional (2-D) information provided by a conventional X-ray image. This may help with the diagnosis, treatment planning and evaluation of certain conditions.

Although the radiation doses from dental CBCT exams are generally lower than other CT exams, dental CBCT exams typically deliver more radiation than conventional dental X-ray exams. Concerns about radiation exposure are greater for younger patients because they are more sensitive to radiation (i.e., estimates of their lifetime risk for cancer incidence and mortality per unit dose of ionizing radiation are higher) and they have a longer lifetime for ill effects to develop.

The FDA has launched a pediatric X-ray imaging website that provides specific recommendations for parents and health care providers to help reduce unnecessary radiation exposure to children. The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health defines the ages of the pediatric population as birth through 21 years.

I would also like to refer you to the quote below from pedrad.org/associations/5364/ig/Procedures/Dental.aspx

Image Gently During Dental Procedures
One size does not fit all...

When using radiography during pediatric dental procedures remember:
Children are more sensitive to radiation than adults.
What we do now lasts their lifetimes.
So when we image, let us image gently: More is often not better.

I ask that you and your office please reconsider the requirement previously made to my wife. I look forward to hearing from you or your office.

_________________
MY OUTSIDE RADIATION MONITORING STATION:
South Beloit, Illinois - GMC200 Outside on HEPA air purifier, ground level, facing West.
http://netc.com/chart/view.php?n=1%3AEB5A139C


Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:46 pm
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Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 4:31 pm
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KC , that is a great letter and I hope it gets the dr's office to adjust their thinking about xray schedules in the future for ALL of their patients. Sometimes I think they look at the $$ aspect ahead of health effects and need to be reminded of the order of priority. thanks


Sat Apr 26, 2014 2:51 pm
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prospecta04342 wrote:
KC , that is a great letter and I hope it gets the dr's office to adjust their thinking about xray schedules in the future for ALL of their patients. Sometimes I think they look at the $$ aspect ahead of health effects and need to be reminded of the order of priority. thanks


Thanks for your post, because I forgot to update this with their answer.

N :evil:

Time to look for a new dentist.

_________________
MY OUTSIDE RADIATION MONITORING STATION:
South Beloit, Illinois - GMC200 Outside on HEPA air purifier, ground level, facing West.
http://netc.com/chart/view.php?n=1%3AEB5A139C


Sat Apr 26, 2014 3:15 pm
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Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 4:31 pm
Posts: 7
My dentist was the same way... more money for more shots of rad. I too have been looking for a new one. They all only see the $$. Too bad they have such a short sighted look on life. Part of the trouble is they are taught in dental school how to make more $ by charging for extra and unneeded exams. in order for them to make the payments on all the expensive machines, they need to irradiate as many as possible, as often as possible. Someday they will see the light, and slow down. They ALL know they take too many pictures.


Sun Apr 27, 2014 6:07 am
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Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 10:48 pm
Posts: 126
This is awesome, KC. When we went they said my kids should have preventative x-rays... I said no. They backed off and said at the next visit, so, like you I am trying to find a new one. Too bad too, the kids actually enjoyed going to that one. Here's a site for alternative dentists http://www.holisticdental.org/


Sun Apr 27, 2014 6:15 am
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Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 1:25 pm
Posts: 182
Be cautious...
Pick your battles.
U don't want to end up on the list down at the skool district office.
then child protective services gets involved and they can be nasty people to deal with.
the obiecare will have all sorts of mandates and strings attached.
it's a whole new world...
Glowing!


Thu May 01, 2014 10:37 pm
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