Lately, Dr. Razdolsky and Dr. Vij have noticed that there has been a lot of debate in the health community about dental x-rays and radiation. Here at Forever Smiles, we try to provide you with the most up to date information on topics relating to the health of our patients and their loved ones. That is why we want to share with you a few scientific facts about radiation that were recently published by the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology. This research was conducted by Dr. Sharon Brooks at University of Michigan's Department of Radiology and Dr. Stuart White at UCLA's Department of Radiology.
- Did you know that the exposure from one digital panoramic x-ray is less than the exposure of just being alive for one day?
- Radiation that strikes only part of the body, such as medical x-rays, is not as hazardous as the same amount of radiation to the whole body.
- The average exposure from a panoramic scan is 10-15 uSv, whereas your natural radiation exposure (just being alive) is about 3,000 uSv per year.
- The typical BERT (Background Equivalent Radiation Time) of ionizing radiation for dental bitewing is about one week.
For more information about quantities and units, we encourage everyone to download the below document from the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology. As always, please don't hesitate to contact our team if you have any questions.
