too many dental X-rays: harmful?

[KT64]

Hi,
Just  a quick question: in the past 6 months, because I've moved twice and switched dentists, and because I had my wisdom teeth removed and a root canal, I've actually gotten my teeth X-rayed five separate times. I'm worried that this is too much radiation. :-(

How many dental X-rays in a period of 6 months (or 1 year) is too harmful?

Here's the detailed breakdown:
August 2007, new dentist for checkup: bitewing X rays
Sept 2007, consultation with oral surgeon for wisdom teeth: panoramic X rays
Dec. 2007: day of wisdom teeth surgery: panoramic X rays (again.) I should have told them I had a set already
Feb 2007: new dentist for cleaning: bitewing X rays
Feb 2007: several X rays of one tooth during tooth canal treatment;

Please let me know if I should be concerned about too much radiation from these 5 X-rays.

Thanks a lot for you time. Knowing an answer will give me peace of mind.

The (sort of) good news is that prior to August, 2007 I got X rays just about once per year, an amount which I think is normal and non-harmful, right?

Korey

[Gascompany]

Yikes I had the panoramic and two full-mouth X-rays in 2 to 3 months.  Good Grief.  Please respond to my faux pas.

[ElMedico]

Xrays are very dangerous but supposedly it is very small amounts in an x-ray machine.   Even so, this is not like radiation you get from your phone or tv.  It is very high energy.  So no I would not hold your hand in front of the machine, stop doing that!

[patriciat]

Are you a hygienist?  RN?  Are you wearing any type of badge to monitor exposure?  Can you give more info.

[marie0603]

I am a dental nurse at a private clinic and most of the time I am the one who took x-rays for our patients. Several patients can not hold the film properly inside their mouth so I have no choice but to hold it for the patient and as a result I am also exposed to the radiation. I am working now for 2 months at that clinic and I think I was exposed to the radiation about 10 times. Do you know what is the limit on x-ray exposure? I mean like how many times is the x-ray exposure safe? Is going behind concrete walls safe enough for me from the radiation????Oh my God...I have a 2 year contract there! I am so worried!!! I am only 21 years old.... :( Please please please please help me clear this out.. Thank you so much.....

[bob878]

http://www.ecds.on.ca/ask_dentist/dental_x-rays.html

[Cycl3Chick]

I am an RDH BS, aka dental hygienist.  You can look it up in the radiology books, but for dental xrays, the max number a year that is safe to have is up in the 100s.  The amount that the first guy had in 2007 was about like walking out in the sun for 30 minutes or so, or less probably.  I wouldn't be worried :)

[sijanise]

good question...id say in the month of january...sue to issues with one tooth, ive had probably a good 20 extras done on my top right 1st premolar. i always worse the lead thingy but ill straight up say i was like great more radiation going tnto my head again...i mean it ***** but what ya gonna do about it? refuse the xray? my eyes are terrible and way worse on my right side...i cant see the big E at the eye doctor but heck ive been that way since i was 10 and this is 20 yrs later soooo cant use that excuse for my vision...Im sure its not the healthist thing to have done, but i just say, hey everythings bad now days, the air, water, food...i mean if i was gonna get cancer theres no way to tell if it was from my cellie phone or my tooth being xrayed a billion times...best bet, chalk it up to , dang that sucked and move on...

[morboy50]

I am a retired.   My regular dentist took three x-rays two weeks ago.  I went to a dentist who is doing free dental work and was given at least five x-rays and was about to do it again when I complained about it.
HOW much is too much?  Isn't there a limit on the amount of x-rays they are allowed to give.

[Pinda]

I worry about dental xrays. On October 30, 2006, I had about 20 xrays taken of one tooth on the
right side of my mouth.  I had about ten taken on the left side.  The girl taking the xrays had to
keep taking them over because she coule not get it right.  She was laughing during the incident.
Anyway, now I am blind in my right eye and have a cataract in my left eye.  I have been totally
blind in my right eye for about three months now.  I think that I have gone blind from all the xrays.

[chizzle]

First off, even if you are moving or switching dentist, if you are worried about insurance coverage or too much exposure, you should be asking your previous dentist to be forwarding your xrays for you.  

I don't really think its possible to have too much exposure from dental xrays with the amount you are talking about.  If you were wearing the led shield every time, and your have no medical reason why you were be more sensitive to radiation I would not be concerned with it.  

Normally, though, the bitewing xrays are taken once a year, and panoramic or a full mouth series xrays are either every 3 or 5 years.