Have you ever heard of the old adage, “Throw it against the wall, and see what sticks?” Many business think-tank meetings use this approach, quite effectively to “throw out” ideas and work through them, eventually finding a great, workable idea that actually “sticks”.
Often times I feel like that is what our patients perceive as our approach to dental x-rays at Artistic Dentistry of Atlanta. More and more of our patients ask us not to take x-rays at their recare visits. I believe that there are three main reasons for this. Before I list these, let me remind you that I have been practicing dentistry for 25 years now. I have seen many changes on dental patient perception of x-rays.
1) Patients are more skeptical and less trusting of their dental team than ever before. Many patients have convinced themselves that we just take x-rays to see what “sticks” –hoping to find “work to do”.
2) Patients are more budget-conscious than ever before. We all are watching our wallets more, and that is a good thing. Patients want cost justification. And many patients believe we simply take x-rays to make a profit.
3) Patients wish to avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation. At Artistic Dentistry of Atlanta, we agree 100%. We do not wish to expose any patients to unnecessary radiation either.
At our quality dental practice, we take all of your concerns and reservations very seriously. I would like to clarify with all of you exactly why, when and how often we take dental x-rays as well as discuss the precautions that we take to assure minimal radiographic exposure.
A comprehensive x-ray study was completed under the direction of the American Dental Association. I believe it to be the quintessential study on how, why and when it is advisable, and yes, necessary, to take x-rays on a dental patient.
We base our x-ray protocol on three things. 1) The above mentioned guidelines, 2) Our vast clinical experience and 3) The age, carries rate and gum health (periodontal health) of each individual patient.
Before we decide what x-rays to take, we evaluate each New Patient based on previous x-ray history, a comprehensive oral examination looking at number of current fillings and crowns, current visible cavities, tooth contacts (can we see between the teeth), gum health, bone recession, gum recession, root cavities, evidence of dry mouth, plaque index, calculus index and more. We then decide what preventive information we need through x-rays to help ensure proper diagnosis and conservative treatment for cavities or gum disease. (Our approach is far from a “see what sticks”…)
For our recare patients—those coming in to see our hygienist every 3 months or 6 months, we re-evaluate all of the same parameters mentioned for the new patient and determine the need for x-rays, taking only what is necessary for proper and thorough diagnosis of dental health. With regular check-ups and proper examination protocol, we can help our patients detect disease at its early stages. We can treat the disease, saving our patients higher future costs and more painful dental experiences.
But most of all, we will help you keep your teeth for a lifetime. We will keep you healthier and increase your life expectancy. So, no, we don’t simply take x-rays to see what “sticks on the wall”. We evaluate each patient individually and use the guidelines of the American Dental Association, our experienced clinical judgment and an evaluation of your current and past oral health. And, our promise to you is that we will always present you with an explanation of why, how often, when and how many x-rays we need to keep your smile healthy for a lifetime. We will continue to utilize digital x-rays which reduce radiation exposure by up to 75%. And, we will continue to use proper protective barrier techniques.
