Dental x-rays are a necessary tool in diagnosing orthodontic problems and planning the right course of treatment to correct them. Without them, your orthodontist can only see about half of your tooth, and you wouldn’t want him/her making treatment recommendations based on only half of the information. There are many things not visible to the naked eye that can be seen with x-rays, including tooth caries (cavities), root tips/fragments, fractures, bone loss, pathology/cysts, impactions and so much more. At Heidi Harman Orthodontics, our goal is to minimize your exposure to dental x-rays by offering very low dose DIGITAL x-rays, which are the safest x-rays you can have!

RADIATION DOSES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

Estimated Exposure Units (in milliSieverts=mSv)

• Smoking 1 pack of cigarettes/day for 1 year………….13.000
• Cooking with natural gas (radon) for 1 year…………. 10.000

High Dose Medical X-rays

• Cardiac stress test………………………………………………….. 9.400
• Thyroid scan……………………………………………………………. 4.800

• Airline crew member, short flights for 1 year……….. 2.200

Medium Dose Dental/Medical X-rays

• Head CT………………………………………………………….……..… 2.500
• Abdominal………………………………………….……….……….…. 0.900
• Chest X-ray (2 films)…………………………………………….…. 0.500

• Eating 1 banana/day for 1 year……………………………… 0.036
• Sleeping next to another person for 1 year………….… 0.020

Low Dose Dental X-rays

• Dental, 4 Bitewing x-rays (traditional film)….……….. 0.028
• Dental, Panoramic (traditional film)………….………..… 0.019

***DIGITAL Radiography offered at Heidi Harman Orthodontics***

• Dental, Panoramic, low radiation digital x-ray….…… 0.014
• Dental, Cephalometric, low radiation digital x-ray… 0.007

At Heidi Harman Orthodontics, we utilize protective lead aprons on all patients to further minimize radiation exposure, as recommended (but not required) by the American Dental Association. Our equipment is also evaluated on a regular basis to ensure the radiation dosages are correct and that there is minimal risk of exposure to other areas of the body. In 2012, we were proud to launch our robotically-assisted orthodontic treatment via SureSmile! Not only does it compliment our current treatment philosophy but it also has the potential to reduce treatment time by as much as 8-12 months! Please see one of our knowledgeable team members or call us at 78-BRACE for more information today!