The dangers of frequent dental x-rays, how often is safe to get them done, and how to best protect yourself and your children with one simple request at cleanings and checkups.
I don’t get dental x-rays very often. My children did not get them regularly either.
I certainly don’t consider getting them every six months like most dentists seem to demand even for children.
In fact, I have been known to laugh out loud when told by a dental professional that “you get more radiation walking to your car (or eating a banana…?) than from this digital x-ray machine.”
If you haven’t noticed, gaslighting is a common tactic to avoid uncomfortable truths in the medical community.
If dental x-rays are so harmless, why do they put a big lead suit over you? And why does the technician quickly leave the room before the x-rays are taken?
The fact is that anyone who has taken a basic high school physics class knows that radiation comes in many forms. It’s called the electromagnetic spectrum.
You can’t compare the UV and infrared radiation from the sun with ionizing radiation from an x-ray machine that takes pictures of your bones.
How Often is Safe for Dental X-rays?
There are a wide variety of opinions on how often is safe to get a set of dental x-rays.
Most conventional practices do it every six months, even for children. Some will even kick you out if you try to have them done less often!
Once or twice a year for a set of x-rays is far too frequent according to the research detailed below.
Biological dentists will typically do x-rays as infrequently as a patient desires.
To give you a suggested timeframe, my Father (Family Physician) always recommended to his patients as part of his healthy lifestyle suggestions that a set of bitewings every five years and a full set of dental x-rays every 10 years was sufficient when the diet is good and barring any preexisting conditions.
This minimizes exposure to ionizing radiation which is cumulative over a lifetime and can cause cancer.
I’ve followed this recommended timeframe throughout my life and also for my children. My husband does the same.
While this may seem to be a very long time compared to conventional practices, I can attest to the fact that my kids (oldest is now 24) have never had any issues with their teeth for having such infrequent dental x-rays.
And yes, I’ve been subjected to quite the scare tactics from dentists and hygienists over the years about it!
Note that if an issue with a tooth presents itself, you can always request a SINGLE x-ray for that tooth, something many people don’t realize!
Why Do Dentists Skip the Thyroid Guard?
That being said, sometimes you really do need to get a full set of dental x-rays for whatever reason.
If you find yourself in a situation where dental x-rays are needed, be sure to insist on a thyroid guard.
In the picture above, you will see that the child is covered with a lead suit in preparation for the dental x-rays. But, where is the thyroid guard?
Nowhere to be seen!
Most dental technicians don’t use one unless the patient specifically asks for it.
Given that thyroid cancer is on the rise and that there are so many assaults on this delicate, butterfly-shaped organ in our modern life from processed foods and environmental toxins, it is very important that you insist on thyroid protection whenever you get any sort of dental x-ray. (1)
But what about the Snopes claim that this is a conspiracy theory and that there is no danger?
The truth is that Snopes is an organization literally founded and run by fraudsters and escorts. It has no credibility as a fact-checker whatsoever. (2)
Dental X-Rays a Risk to the Thyroid
Here’s the truth about the dangers to health from overly frequent dental x-rays.
Studies have shown that pregnant women who have dental x-rays are at higher risk for having small babies.
Study participants who had dental x-rays while pregnant were at double the risk of having a low birth weight baby born prematurely. In addition, the women were at triple the risk of having an underweight baby born full term. (3)
This study involved 4,500 women who had babies between 1993 and 2000 and was reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Dr. Philippe Hujoel, a professor of dental public health services at the University of Washington, said that it is unclear how the radiation might be affecting fetuses. He conjectured that perhaps the thyroid gland in the pregnant women was somehow affected by the dental x-rays.
He went on to say that previous studies have found an increased risk of low birth weight babies in women with mild thyroid disease.
Insist on a Thyroid Guard!
It is very important to insist on a thyroid guard whenever you or a loved one has a dental x-ray taken. This simple device should also be used during mammograms.
But, it is best to not do them at all anyway. In a nutshell, always insist on no-radiation solutions like a thermogram or a breast ultrasound.
Even Dr. Oz warns about repeated dental x-rays and mammograms as they can potentially contribute to increased risk for thyroid cancer. (4)
Despite his highly conventional approach, Dr. Oz concludes that wearing a thyroid guard during these procedures is a wise move. (5)
What’s it going to hurt to wear one, after all?
There is absolutely no downside to this extra safety precaution, so don’t let your dentist or hygienist talk you out of it.
If, after asking your dentist for a thyroid guard, you discover that he/she doesn’t even have one available, you can safely assume that it is time for you to find a new dentist!
Need a Dentist Who Won’t Push X-rays?
I get many requests about who I recommend as a truly holistic, biological dentist. If you are looking for one, I recommend Dr. Carlo Litano of Natural-Smiles.com – (727) 300-0044.
He sees young children as well as adults. He also does phone consults for those who don’t live close enough for an office visit. Be sure to tell him that Sarah sent you and get 10% off your first visit!
(1) Thyroid Cancer on the Rise
(2) SNOPES ‘fact checker’ accused of defrauding website, staff includes an escort-porn star
(3) Dental X-Rays Might Lead to Smaller Babies
(4) Repeated Dental Xrays without Neck Shielding Predispose to Thyroid Cancer
(5) Dr. Oz: Thyroid Guards During Mammograms & Dental X-Rays
So many of us have been trained to trust the doctor, trust the dentist. Obey them.
Truth is, they are just people, not gods. Their professions have been structured to make money, not heal people. Many times they just apply a standard protocol without any regard for your individual needs or situation. Many times, they do not know what to do and are just guessing. Every one of them has a financial conflict of interest with every patient who comes to see them. Many of them get money from drug companies as a reward for prescribing certain drugs. Many of them get financial rewards from insurance companies for prescribing certain treatments and tests, regardless of the individual needs of the patient.
Despite this, there are a few doctors and dentists who are good people and sincerely want to help. How can you tell? The ones who listen to what you say, who treat you with respect, who do all they can to comply with your wishes, who carefully explain what they are doing and why, who will adjust their actions to your individual needs, who try to do no harm – those are the ones to listen to. The ones who bully, do not hear you, threaten, try to make you obey them because, after all, they are “the doctor”, are, in my opinion, not worth seeing.
I once had a dentist who respected my wishes, and never tried to give me an x-ray after I explained to him why I did not want them. And my teeth, were, and are, fine.
Oh, and Jamie, any doctor that throws stuff around and storms out of a room is a jerk, and you shouldn’t allow him to work on your mouth anyways.
Yes, do insist on a thyroid shield, and the big shield that also protects your reproductive organs. In dental school, we were taught to always place both on the patient, but some dentists will get lazy on insisting the dental assistants always place both.
Digital x-rays produce considerably less radiation than the older machines, I’ve ready anywhere from 80 to 95%. That is a huge improvement, but I still wear my shields whenever having x-rays taken, it is just the smart thing to do. Are x-rays needed every 6 months? If you take care of your teeth, and are currently not at high risk for decay, then probably not. If you are a patient that comes in with periodontal problems, have a history of a couple of cavities every time you come in for your recall exam, then anyone can understand why we would want to see some x-rays. In x-rays, we can find if there is decay underneath a filling, decay in between teeth that can’t be seen clinically, if a root canal is going bad, and many more things. A good dentist will study the patient’s history well, and decide if x-rays are needed or not. Now, when a new patient comes in, and I have no idea what I am dealing with, I like to have a full set of x-rays. If I miss decay, or a cyst, or a source of infection because I didn’t have x-rays, I am held liable, and with reasonable cause, for not looking at the whole picture. If the patient turns out to be in great oral health, will I subject them to more x-rays in 6 months? Probably not, unless they have a symptom or concern.
Ho, that just shows you how ignorant I am. I had a dental xray about two years ago and the dentist didn’t say a word about a thyroid guard nor did the technician. I even wonder if they had one? Of course this is the same person who told me not to worry about the mercury in the amalgams as there wouldn’t be enough to do harm. Well, I’ve got a mouth full of the stuff, is that enough to do harm?
A dentist recently told me that the “new” digital x-rays are, yes, lower in radiation, but not nearly as low as what people are led to believe.
Actually, Sarah, I have to side with Snopes on this one. I appreciate and agree with your view, but I wonder if you might have been a bit hasty to chastise Snopes. I looked up their page on the thyroid guard ( http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/thyroidguard.asp ) and find their results congruent with their style of reporting. They are not claiming to be the authorities, in fact, they are deferring to the authority of two doctors, Dr. Oz and Dr. Harpham. If you read Dr. Harpham’s excerpt, she mentions that some people might worry about annoying the x-ray tech by asking for a thyroid guard. Um, worry about protecting your thyroid vs. someone’s annoyance level? Seems a no-brainer to me as which argument has more ground.
Learning how to confront people with grace is a lost art in our society.
Some people would rather stay silent and not “inconvenience” the xray tech than kindly ask the for a thyroid guard? I just don’t get that at all.
How true. I’m one that needs to learn this. I was raised in a family that said whatever came to mind regardless of who it hurt. I had to live most of my life offending people when there was probably a way to get results without being offensive. Although, I also found out that sometimes you have to be aggressive…that is after you’ve tried about a dozen times to politely get somebody to do what they are supposed to do. People you pay are supposed to provide what you ask for and a dentist is one of them.
Thank you for this article. Our health and safety cannot be left in your dentists hands. Either he does not understand or does not want to. I once refused a mercury amalgam. The dentist (professional doctor that he was) THREW pamphlets, produced by the ADA defending their position on mercury poisoning, at me and stormed out of the room. This is what we are dealing with. Educate yourself and protect yourself. Thank you Sarah.
Just quietly explain your truth and do not be dissuaded by so called “experts” in white coats. You don’t need a degree to, in fact, know much more than they do.
A radiologist himself told me to insist on a thyroid shield with all x-rays because of radiation “scatter.” It makes perfect sense.
Just demonstrated my device to an extraordinary woman who has stories about healing… One of them is about the time she was on a ferry in New York City, and saw something she’d never seen a before: a woman without an aura. She wondered how someone could live without their “space suit”, and approached her. Sores on hands & feet, etc.
The woman was from Chernobyl. They pulled her aura back to normal with some simple technology from Radio Shack, and she still hears from her once a year or so.
I wrote this page after that reactor in Japan broke down:
http://radialappliance.teslabox.com/cayce-on-radiation/
-James
Not sure I buy the “aura” thing to be perfectly honest. A bit too out there for me.
It doesn’t seem to make sense at first that there would be an effect produced by a disturbed physical system (cell death and DNA damage caused by electrons racing around from a very high energy/wave (the radiation) passing through the body tissue) into the energetic systems (meridians, chakras etc.) but the research is so very young at this time – in its infancy. There has been research on mediums to suggest that when they produce ectoplasm (the densest form of energy from nonphysical energetic systems, e.g, chakras) there is a reduction of body weight and also human cells removed and found in the ectoplasm. And also telekinesis shows energy affecting matter. Radiation is a high level physical energy bombardment, but future research may find it can have an effect on our nonphysical energetic system via mechanisms we have not discovered yet, even possibly causing unexpected changes in the human aura (if energies can affect matter, matter may possibly affect energies). Be patient, science has a long way to go yet in this area. It isn’t beyond reason, its simply beyond our current research.
It never seems to be a comfortable situation to “refuse treatment”, as they put in their records. We do minimal ex-rays, and no flouride. I get the feeling they think I am very strange! Wait until I tell them about the thyroid guard.
My dentist some years ago poo pooed my suggestion that mercury amalgams were dangerous. He just kept right on filling his patients’ mouths with them. He had to retire from dentistry in his early 40’s as he came down with Parkinson’s Disease. Tragic coincidence? I don’t think so.
Okay, I have two x-ray rants…
In Korea (South), I had to get x-rays when I broke my foot. The machinery was clearly left over from M*A*S*H*, there was no lead apron provided, and the young women operating the machines did not leave the room for their own protection!! I felt self-indulgent worrying about my one-time exposure when I thought about their young bodies getting exposed on a very frequent basis.
Rant two…I went to Harvard Medical for dental work a couple of years ago, through the dental student program which means you get reduced prices for getting work from 3rd & 4th year dental students. The x-ray tech, though, I don’t know how much training he had. He was to take a full machine-rotates-all-the-way-around-my-head set of x-rays plus static image shots. He had to retake one or two positions several times because he wasn’t getting a clear image! I tried to be understanding, but finally had to point out to him that he was zapping me with loads of radiation. “Oh, right…Sorry…”
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your rant about Snopes. I had to smile, as I was thinking just that the other day…”Who made Snopes the trusted authority?”
Anyway, thanks for humoring me in my little rant!