Exams & Cleanings

Many parents have concerns about whether X-rays are safe for their kids. At Southern Smiles, we have replaced the old manually processed X-rays and our pediatric dental team uses digital low dose X-ray technology.

They are safer because they emit about 90 percent less radiation than traditional film X-rays. The dosage is so low that technically, we do not even need to use a protective apron to drape over the patient while we take the X-rays.

However, we still use the protective apron to offer our families extra peace of mind. The technology has advanced to the point where most of our X-rays are taken with a portable hand-held X-ray unit.

In fact, the level of radiation from a set of digital X-rays is less than the level of radiation we’re exposed to naturally in the course of one day.

Occasionally we have parents who will not allow us to take dental X-rays on their children. We are able to work with parents in those situations over a period of time.

We will provide education and discuss why it is important to ultimately include X-rays as a part of a full evaluation for your child. Once your child has been with us for a period of about 18 months, if we have not established a level of trust with you that allows the doctor to work with the standard of care, we will help you find another dental home for your child.

While X-rays are diagnostic in nature, they are also a preventative measure, helping to spot issues before they become major problems. An examination of your child’s teeth without an X-ray may not reveal potential issues with the teeth and surrounding tissue.

Common problems that will go undiagnosed are: decay between the teeth, decay inside the teeth, bone infection, abscesses, missing teeth, extra teeth, impacted teeth, cysts, a variety of genetic or systemic problems, and in rare cases tumors or cancers. The discovery of these problems at an early stage is vital for an effective plan of treatment.

Without X-rays, issues not obviously apparent could go undiagnosed, resulting in progressive worsening, even to the extent of threatening your child’s overall health. Left untreated, an abscess infection can spread to other parts of the body, including the lungs, heart, and brain.

A "radiograph" is the picture that is created of the teeth and supporting bone. The picture allows the dentist to essentially see through the structures of the teeth and evaluate the health of the tooth and supporting bone.

The term "X-ray" actually refers to the invisible electromagnetic wave that is passed through the body to create the radiograph picture. So X-rays allow us to create radiographs.

The layperson generally uses the term "X-ray" to describe what a dentist calls a radiograph. Don’t worry—we know how to speak in terms that make it easy for parents!

We abide by the standards of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the ALARA principle. ALARA stands for “as low as reasonably achievable” and children should be protected from unnecessary exposure.

When deciding whether a dental X-rays would be beneficial for your child, our experienced doctors will always weigh the risks against benefits. There are no exact guidelines for how often X-rays should be taken.

Children who have a significant and repeated history of tooth decay will generally benefit from X-rays more often, whereas children with little or no history of tooth decay should have X-rays less often. We only recommend X-rays when they are truly beneficial and necessary to completely assess your child’s teeth.