How frequently can I have dental x-rays and be safe?

Greatgimp

My normal (private) dental checkups were cancelled and other patients were put in my place during the Covid crisis, probably because of BDA restrictions at the time. I suspect my dentist was being paid by Denplan even though he never saw me and it was more lucrative for him to treat patients that needed work doing. Fast forward, I moved a hundred miles away and couldn't register anywhere as dentists were not taking on new patients so I went perhaps three years without a check up. The private dentists are now back up and running and I went to a new dentist who took two x-rays (January) and recommended some work (broken teeth etc). I wasn't impressed with him or his surgery and went elsewhere. The second dentist gave me two x-rays (February) and recommended a lot of expensive work, eg. a check up was £150 (I suspect he wanted me to pay for a very swish surgery with flashy screens, high-tech machinery and premises and many staff). I decided he wasn't right for me. The third dentist is a happy medium and I'm satisfied with his pricing and recommendations although I had to have a fifth x-ray (March).

In short, should I be concerned with having five x-rays in eight weeks? What if he says I need a sixth one? Should hearing aids be removed for x-rays?

brook2jack2

You should have asked for a copy of your x rays from the first dentist. You are entitled to these , without charge, and it is good practice to reduce x Ray exposure. 

One dental x Ray is the equivalent of eating two Brazil nuts . 

Six dental x rays is the same amount of radiation as a one way flight to Spain. 

So in other words although it is good practice for dentists to make your exposure to x rays as low as possible the number of x rays you have had is not a huge amount of radiation and certainly less than one chest x Ray. 

However do remember in future that you can ask for copies of your x rays to be sent to your new dentist. 

Unless you are having a type of x Ray called an opg which takes a picture of all of your teeth and jaws at once there is no need to remove hearing aids.